Are we gonna be the oldest people there? Asks my friend Annie. We've just spent the last two hours trying to get our old bums out of the house, organizing a combination of stimulants and alcohol with, you know, sunscreen and earplugs. That's right, #grownupshit. Our cab drivers take forever to sync with one another but the sun is shining, the clouds are so fluffy you want to eat them, and most importantly, my phone is charged within a percentage of its life so we can actually spread the joy to you over the seas.
Here's the thing. The place is filled with people drinking Fosters. No I'm not kidding, I do indeed mean that piss poor excuse we call for exported beer. And for some reason, at 13 bucks for 750 ml, the humans are drinking it and - alas- calling if better than Miller Lite. Oh, America.
With the sounds of Jenny Lewis ushering us in telling us that there's no chance that we will be happy remaining at just one stage for one period of time this weekend, we bounce our way in through the grass, tents and picnic blankets. On the Gov Ball stage, Julian Casablancas is killing it with new band The Voidz and there's no time but now to dance, or so says the several thousand gathered at the bottom of the lushest, grassiest hill - think Melbourne pre-water restrictions - to dance to the man and his scrumptious wall of guitars and percussion.
I'm still drinking Fosters and it's getting embarrassing...the thing about Julian Casablanca, for the uninitiated (and that'd be me) is that there's a show put on no matter what... And between the 80s-esque rocking choruses and the long jammy intros, there's no one way to define this type of music except: do not sit down, and keep dancing. Clearly, as the Friday afternoon vibe kicks in at Governor’s Ball, everyone agrees.
On the other side, La Roux are sadly being let down by the sound quality in the Gotham Tent, the only roofed stage which doesn’t do justice to the silky harmonies and dancy vibes. It's not until making it down to the center of the crowd that Elly Jackson’s vocals are strong enough to stand up against the electro beats. People are settling into the grass, the sun is spreading those little yellow beams across the sky that makes better writers than me describe it properly, and everyone is belting along to the classic Going In For the Kill. As will become a pattern this weekend, the crowd tends to thin out following the blockbuster hits – in this case, "Bulletproof"– and everyone’s off to snag spots for the next main stage acts. Oh, America. So fickle about the hits... who can blame you?
On a weekend where the weather was arguably the star of the show, the sunsets were a loyal sidekick, and on Friday it’s Phoenix (pictured) who perfectly make use of their backdrop, playing "Love Like a Sunset" just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Over on the Honda Stage, Damien Marley (who is NOT DEAD, as some of our crew not-so-subtly advised passersby) practically ushers the sun across the sky as he questions the crowd about their penchant for a certain herbal substance while throwing out super-smooth jams… “Out on the streets.. They call it MURDA”, yells the crowd. It might be New York City, but this could be a beach in Jamaica with the sunset, the breeze, and an entire crowd singing together “You Can Be Loved” in an almost un-New York-like fashion. Alas, Governor’s Ball has begun, and with it the warmth and fuzziness that a music festival brings.
It’s hard to believe that mere minutes away is the bustle of the city that never sleeps, but the after-work crowd is starting to show up, and we’re reminded that there are a lot of people here tonight who paid specifically for the privilege of seeing Outkast in all their glory. One tells me that he’s paid over face value for this ticket, in the hopes of reviving the halcyon days of high school. We discuss the lucrative opportunity that is reviving a high school favourite – I mean, dude! I’d pay to see Matchbox 20! Third Eye Blind are at Firefly? I will BE THERE! The nineties’n’noughties music festival, we decide, is an opportunity waiting to happen, and as the weekend progresses, it seems nearly everyone is on the bandwagon featuring a cover of a High School hit. Nostalgia is alive and well, and not just on Buzzfeed.
Which is where the night ends, between Damon Albarn inviting De La Soul up to play Gorillaz classic "Feel Good Inc"; and Outkast shaking the entire island with a raucous version of "Hey Ya". While Albarn’s new music sounds a little too similar to anything out of Brooklyn these days (seriously, did someone just give granddad money to make an album – a nearby soul wonders aloud), the old school crew are ready for any taste of Blur or Gorillaz he can give ‘em. I’m reminding myself "This is not a Blur show, this is not a Blur show" but somehow, the yearning remains. Nostalgia’s there, and it’s disappointing the humans! On the Outkast side, though, no one is sad. And once again, Music Festival stage-choosing regret sets in. Oh, the tyranny!
Photos provided by The Governor's Ball Music Festival.
