In retrospect, the Governors Ball was just tremendous. Three days, but home before 1am each night, of first grade, top of line modern popular music. From Skrillex to Outkasts, from the Strokes to Grimes, from Jenny Lewis to run The Jewels, this was the one.
‘When I was a kid I saw a light/Floating high above the trees one night’, and yeah, it was Built to Spill opening their set on the Lawn stage with their song ‘Goin’ Against you Mind’… and every time I see Built to Spill, I see the light,
Dance trumps rock, no two ways about it. Skrillex and two thirds of Swedish House Mafia siphoned off 75% of the audience, leaving 25% for Jack White and Vampire Weekend. The sheer numbers were incredible. Broken Bells was free and easy, you couldn’t move at Disclosures set which was occurring on a different stage at the same time.
Everybody’s Something – Chance The Rapper – The difference between the version Chance sang at his Governor’s Ball star making turn is this is the way Chance boiled the song down to its “everybody’s somebody’s everything, nobody’s nothing at all” hook and than got a full house who was gagging for it, to sing it with all its heart , the verses and backing track are a touch too dark on Acid Rap – A-
Saturday was incredibly busy at Randall’s Island, a complete sell out from one end of the Island to the other with young kids, mostly college sophomores by the looks of it, planting themselves on every available inch of green. But the lineup wasn’t as good as Friday’s line up
Tightrope – Janelle Monae – Maybe the highlight of Friday’s entire day at Governor Ball on Friday, this is a pure rhythm dance track, ridiculously modern disco blaster. Big Boi’s rap only makes it that much better. Janelle was a star after this – Aroc
I didn’t understand Angles. Every song made me cringe. Though I will admit, “Under Cover of Darkness” did have that familiar Room On Fire melody, but it still felt a bit forced and cheap; the furthest away from musical catharsis. It didn’t trap me like Is This It did, that record raised me
12:51 – The Strokes – “Talk to me I’m older” Casablancas requests and it opens the door on what would have their eagerly awaited sophomore album which unlike this textured guitar fuzzy tuneful masterstroke, didn’t live up to exceptions – A
