On Oct. 19 and 20, a short shuttle ride over the Bay Bridge transported my friends and me to a place full of music, food, art, and fun. The Treasure Island Music Festival, held one weekend every October, was a two-day, non-stop music experience. The event only has two stages, and no artist plays at the same time so you can see every one on the lineup.
The weather on Saturday was perfect. It was sunny and warm with a light breeze. I started the day off seeing the rap artist Danny Brown, who really got the crowd moving. The two artists I was excited to see on Saturday were electronic groups Disclosure and Major Lazer, and I was not disappointed. Disclosure blew me away with their visuals, live band, and set list. I did not see one person standing still the entire time, and it was one of the most fun crowds I have ever been a part of. As the sun was setting and the air got cooler, people danced for warmth during Major Lazer. Major Lazer is a group lead by electronic artist Diplo. Their heart pumping beats and crazy bass made for a great dance party as the sun went down over the Bay. Major Lazer’s performance ended around 7 p.m. and the weather had taken a turn for the worse. We nick-named the island “Treasure Iceberg.” It was absolutely freezing and the only way to fight the cold was to huddle into the middle of the crowd for a set by Phantogram, an American electric-rock duo, who put on a killer show. The music was upbeat and the energy from the performers rubbed off into the crowd. Even though I was not familiar with their music, I am now a big fan.
As the night wore on it got colder and colder, and when it came time to see Atoms for Peace, Thom Yorke of Radiohead’s new experimental group, I could not feel my hands. Being a fan of Radiohead, I was hyped up to see Atoms for Peace. Unfortunately, i was very disappointed. They did not come on-stage on time, the performance was half-hearted and not impressive at all. I ended up leaving early because it was not enjoyable.
Sunday was a much chillier day from the start, but the lineup of performers was good enough to get me excited. We stopped to frolic in a cloud of bubbles that came from a giant bubble maker and soaked up a little bit of sun before it got cold again. Then came time for Lord Huron, a folk group who put on an amazing show. The lead singer, Ben Schneider, softly sang with his dreamy voice and mesmerized the crowd. The live performance of their song, “Time to Run,” was energetic, beautiful, and a pleasure to listen to.
After Lord Huron’s set, the kickass, sister indie rock group Haim went on the other stage. Their performance blew me away. There is a lot of hype around the group and it is well deserved. Their energy and rock-and-roll style made for a great set which my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed. The rest of the night was left with more stellar performances and no disappointments. STRFKR, James Blake, Animal Collective, Sleigh Bells, and Beck all led incredible performances. STRFKR’s show included crowd surfing astronauts, aliens, blow up dolls, and sumo wrestlers. The combination of funky dance music and visuals was awesome, and made the band stand out the most. The members of Animal Collective had an amazing set of teeth onto which they projected crazy visuals. Although they did not play my favorite song (“My Girls”), they had great energy, and the crowd loved their performance.
Last but definitely not least, Beck, who was the biggest headliner of the weekend, closed out the festival in a big way. He performed older songs and put on a great show. It was the perfect way to end a great weekend!
The festival also had a huge collection of snack vendors, including the famous Spicy Pie Pizza, and many other delicious food trucks. The crowd was not overwhelming, and the event’s setup was easy to navigate. With the art installations and music, Treasure Island was an enjoyable experience, and you will definitely see me there again next year!
atoms for peace were not enjoyable? all the reviews say otherwise, maybe it was you.
Maybe!