The Prius was packed; we were ready for a weekend of musical overload. All that lay between us and the Big Apple was a dreadful 8½- hour drive, finding a place to park the car, a bus ride or two, a subway journey and a 5-block walk—with our luggage. Needless to say, we had an exhausting day of travel ahead. But, we didn’t care, we were on our way to New York City for the 4th annual Governors Ball, and we couldn’t have been more excited.
While, typically I am a very easygoing festival-goer, I usually find something to criticize. It is just how I am; I was born to critique. I guess you can say it is one of my life passions— and I am damn great at doing so. Whether it be urban planning fails (like parking lot design, which never seems to have enough exits or exits where you would expect them to be) or the overuse of salt in cooking, I will find something to complain about. Perhaps my cynicism is a gift? I like to think so.
To our disbelief, the ride to the festival was quick and painless. From “home-base”, It was 10 stops on the 6 train, then a bus ride to the festival entrance. The bus line was at the most 5 minutes, even at peak festival hours. The ride itself was fast, only about 10 minutes, and attendees were dropped off almost directly at the festival gates. I figured it must have been a fluke, but to my astonishment, it never seemed to let me down. I guess transportation of mass quantities of people is the norm for The Big Apple and tends to go smoothly, that’s more than I can say for the less-than-prepared Motor City. An A+ goes to the NYC transportation department.
The weather was perfect. By perfect, I mean 80 degrees, marshmallow fluff white clouds and a pristine blue sky. The melding of music and environment was beautiful. There is something intrinsically precious about the mix of an industrial world and natural wonders— it makes you remember how priceless life is. It was an overwhelmingly fantastic day.
Let me tell you, Mr. White did not disappoint. His set was fully illuminated blue. I am unsure if it was because I was only a few feet away from one of my musical influences or the calming color of blue, but his enthusiasm and stage presence was magical. Needless to say, I went back to “home-base” and felt as if a part of me would forever be on Randall’s Island, in that perfect moment, listening to the live tunes of Jack White.
For our second day (the last day of the music festival), we had a very full lineup. Bleachers, Frank Turner , Foster the People and Interpol.
It is hard to decide which was my favorite show for the Sunday lineup. Bleachers, an indie pop band based in NYC and the new project of Jack Antonoff (lead guitarist for the indie rock band Fun.), definitely surprised the crowd. They only have two singles released, and yet, their 50 minute set was full of energy, and the crowd reciprocated. They were definitely impressive, so much so that I am planning on purchasing their album when it is released mid-July.
They filled the air with the red glow of stage lights and lead singer Paul Banks’ mesmerizingly mysterious vocals. They played one of my favorite songs, Evil, and I quickly became entranced. Interpol was a well-awaited gem, too bad for everyone that missed them or chose to see the EDM show at the same time. Shame on them.
The list of Gov Ball’s pros came easy, while it proved difficult for me to imagine the cons. I succeeded in coming up with a few, but, all-in-all, the ball was a three-day island party in the middle of the metropolis that is New York City.
Pros:
All-diet friendly: Wide variety of foods
“Vegetarian, vegan and meat-lover friendly” should be the cuisine motto for Governors Ball. All of the food vendors had versions of their items for the particular foodies. You could even get a jalapeño corn dog— vegetarian style.
Drink! Drink! While the festival didn’t hand out free water bottles (you could purchase one for $4), they did have free water fill-up stations. The stations were fully staffed, so you couldn’t fill up on your own (which I guess was nice), but it did seem like there was always a long line for H2O, at least the stations nearest the main stage. It was nice not having to pay over and over again for water, especially in the heat.
UV Protected: $1 sunscreen spray booth
One thing that many people often forget: sunscreen. I am a pale pioneer, so I carry my dermatologist grade sunscreen almost everywhere I go, I even put it on for long car rides so my arm doesn’t burn (which it will). Luckily, for those who show up sans-UV blockage, there were $1 sunscreen spray areas. Of which, people were actually using, which made me proud pale vixen.
Art Pride: Urban art and interactive sculptures
Throughout the grounds there were a few installations that made me smile. There were paintings and sculptures, some of which were interactive. The paintings were done by local artists, which was a great way to promote the NYC art scene. The few that stood out: an overly large pair of headphones that you could walk under, the Statue of Liberty wearing Ray Bans and a beautiful red apple made of roses, symbolizing the Big Apple.
Cons:
One thing that irked me a bit was that the selection of bands didn’t really wander too much out of the EDM/Alt-rock genre. Yes, there were a few acts that you’d categorize as “hip-hop” and one metal band (Deafheaven), but I really would’ve like to listen to some rock n’roll, or maybe one of the older, already famous bands. Typically I like to see a group or two that probably won’t be around for much longer or that never tours. Ya know, something special that makes the festival have those once-in-a-lifetime shows.
Artist collaboration: Not much
Going to a music festival is a special event in most people’s lives. With all of the artists at the festival, it would have been nice to see the bands come together on stage or make cameos in another’s set. It is fun when artists from different music genres come together. It makes for a truly magical time. With the lack of record sales nowadays, live music is all that we have left. It is a breath of fresh air to see artists come together just because they are at the same place at the same time and make beautiful tunes.
Going-green: No paper schedules
While I appreciate the idea, it seemed to be more of a hassle than going-green. Yes, I know NYC has a litter problem, but I would have liked to have a hard copy of the schedule. The Governors Ball phone app was adequate, but I didn’t like having to use my phone the entire day to look at the schedule. I was already using it for photos and social media, which loved to suck the battery as quick as a vampire would blood at a butcher shop. Plus, then I had to use electricity to charge the phone, which isn’t really going-green. The fest had posted schedules in a few spots near the center of the fairgrounds, but I didn’t want to need to leave the show I was at to go look at the schedule or grab my phone. Just seemed a little annoying needing to constantly be plugged in more than I already was. Next year, they should give you the option of grabbing a printed out schedule when you arrive at the festival gates, or remind people that they should bring a printed schedule from home. Hey, maybe they could sell some lovely advertising to go along with it? Just sayin’.
Both of these up-and-coming alternative rock bands were scheduled at 1:30 on Sunday, at the two stages farthest from each other (which seemed to be a trend throughout the weekend). We decided to see Bleachers, due to Brittney’s fascination for Fun., and we were definitely pleased with the decision. With only two singles having been released up to their show date, they put on a show that made me a fan. I was sold.
Least difficult time conflict: Jack White vs. Skrillex
One would think that these two larger-than-life acts would pose a problem for festival-goers. They both started at 9:30 on Saturday night, once again at the two stages farthest away from one another. Luckily, these two produce sounds that are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Mr. White bring his lovely blues-garage-rock sound and an aesthetically pleasing stage presence, while Skrillex is more of an over-the-top dance party with lights and explosions of electronic pandemonium, as the crowd waits for him to “drop the bass”. With an almost perfect 50/50 audience divide, the conflict wasn’t so much of a decision as a life-style choice. Even though I like my fair share of dubstep and EDM, Jack White was a more sophisticated choice, one which I had been waiting to experience for years.