Treasure Island: a fan-friendly festival in the Bay Area.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to attend a music festival inside a cloud? It's no accident that the logo for the Treasure Island Music Festival features a pirate ship. Situated on its namesake artificial island between Oakland and San Francisco, the event felt like being at sea in the seemingly ever-present fog of the bay. Although it made for a cool and damp evening, the watery remove from the city gave the festival the intimate feeling of a floating carnival.
Bands played on one of two stages in a non-overlapping schedule, eliminating the usual business of music festival strategizing and promoting a very laid-back atmosphere. I missed the weekend's first day (whose lineup of hip-hop and electro was headlined by deadmau5), but made it out for the second day's indie/rock-leaning festivities. Some photos from Sunday after the jump.
Watching Drive Like Jehu required staring directly into the sun.
The War on Drugs
Silent Disco, for festival-goers who just need a little dance break from all of the indie rock.
Bubbles: Popular for kids of all ages.
Wearing a furry animal costume was actually a sensible weather-appropriate choice.
Deerhunter turned electricity into music, and were impressed and unsettled by the quiet and well-behaved crowd.
Deerhunter
CHVRCHES were both the most overtly dancey act on the mainstage and the act who did the most dancing on the mainstage.
CHVRCHES spoke of breaking their "San Francisco curse."
Panda Bear is ready for Halloween. They brought an impressive set of visuals by Danny Perez that were way creepier than anything I saw in Crimson Peak. Their shows always feel like an audiovisual psychological reprogramming exercise in the very best way.
Panda Bear
The National was one of the better-suited bands for a cool foggy evening, especially while wallowing in the post-Seahawks defeat feels.
The National presents Matt Berninger's newly flowing long locks.
Treasure Island: Come for the view, stay for the show.
