Loser – Governor’s Ball – What are these guys thinking of? After the disastrous early June Randall’s Island festival last year, with Friday a complete disaster (Best Coast best quote: “This fucking sucks”), and a doubling up on the headliner on Saturday which lead to overcrowding plus a nightmare of mud and ruined shoes, they have the audacity to try it again in 2014. Early June may be warm in New York City but it may not be warm at all. I certainly see no reason not to suspect at least rain on one of the days, and temperatures in the 50s seems likely. It might be great but why the hell would you risk it? PS I saw Outkast at the Theater at MSG circa “B.O.B.” (Ludacris opened). They were great but it sure hits me that both Coachella (who is no Glastonbury) and Gov’s Ball (who are giving Coachella a run for their money) way overestimate the duo. Andre 3000 can’t get arrested in 2014.
Winner – Neil Young – If you didn’t see at Carnegie Hall you missed one of the great concerts of our time. Despite his huge catalog, Young concentrated on his prolific early acoustic years: Comes A Time, After The Goldrush and Harvest made up half the set and the rest were equally fan friendly. 23 songs on the night I saw him, 25 songs by the second half of the residency. A true journey through the past.