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I "retired" from Governors Ball a few years ago, plus I am in ADA more often than not these days for standing shows, but had to do The Killers personal 5 boro milestone so I sucked it up and also did VIP for Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel too old being mostly in VIP. And they did do it up nicely at Main Stage/GoPuff, the IHG area was less decked out but not bad either. So much seating! Which was why I did VIP. I saw no seating in the general areas of the fest, which I also wandered around a bit - besides no seating at all there I thought they laid stuff out quite nicely. Nice drink selection (this forum censors the word for mixed drinks? Lol) but the food vendors kinda sucked in VIP but I didn't really have time to wander the food in the main areas although I did get a free mini grilled cheese soon after entering, lol. I would suggest that they put up a few signs pointing the way to the various stages, even with the map it took me awhile to find the IHG stage.
I enjoyed everyone I saw - Carly Rae, Hippo Campus and The Killers, and I watched Sabrina Carpenter for a few minutes but then was actively listening - think I enjoyed her more listening but not actually watching her, if that makes sense! It was easy for me to swoop in after Carly Rae and get a great spot for The Killers, and fortunately my knees and feet were doing well on Saturday so I made it through the show fine. Although I did check out their ADA and it was not in a great spot, especially compared to where it was at Randalls Island. Lots of families with younger children in VIP! Did encounter one very drunk young woman during the early part of the Killers set, was worried she might puke on me, but her boyfriend ushered her out pretty quickly.
Flushing Meadows as a site - I liked all the trees and everything, and probably less muddy with a rainfall, but oy, it is a hike from the subway, my smartwatch clocked it as 1.25 miles from main stage to the 7. And it takes awhile from downtown Brooklyn, the 7 is not my favorite even when it goes express. Probably didn't help that the G was not running where I needed this weekend so had to go through Manhattan. Also the city or whoever really needs to address that boardwalk connecting the park to the transit, it is falling apart and is a disaster waiting to happen if they don't do anything and still have these high traffic events.
Glad to hear the VIP experience still seems to be somewhat worth it for us olds. The walk from the train DOES seem a bit far from how you described it though I imagine it's still shorter than the walk over the Randalls Island bridge from the 4-5-6 at 125 St. The lineup has been skewing relatively outside my taste starting in 2019 but if I can put together a good enough day, will do a 1 day VIP at some point.
Welcome to the club, jorge! Embrace the change. There's a lot to look forward to:
- Festivals catering to folks like us (see most September lineups). They feature some new artists, plenty of last-10-20-years bands, and legacy acts you never got to see when you were younger. - With luck, you'll be able to treat yourself to VIP occasionally. - You'll make new friends and have conversations like "I remember seeing <now-solo artist> back when he/she was with <great band we wish would reunite but never will>". or "I saw these guys <##> years ago when they played at <some dumpy bar in New Jersey>".
Thanks for the GovBall report. Had a blast there in 2015 and 2016 (except getting out) and wanted to go Sunday, but other plans won out.
P.S. You're not old until you STOP going to festivals and concerts!
Oh, heh, I've been in the club for a while. I was probably out of the target demo when I *started* going to GovBall in 2014. But I hear you. I think the problem is that the northeast festivals that are catering to a more mature crowd are skewing a little too staid for my tastes. The sweet spot for me are events like Just Like Heaven or what Kilby Block Party was this year.
I admit that it's STILL a bit of a head scratcher to me why LA/SoCal can support so many of these fests and we can't even get one. I suppose we have Sound on Sound in Bridgeport and Sea Hear Now in NJ but those seem a bit...too.....boring (as you've pointed out). I think the issue with NYC is that the people that can afford/have an interest in those genres are likely older/have kids now thus if they ARE going to shell out for a festival it has to be in a cool setting and/or a can't-miss lineup which is tough to do in this area since many acts don't want to necessarily sacrifice their NYC date. Who knows...maybe we'll get an All Points West revival in Jersey City eventually?
Oh, heh, I've been in the club for a while. I was probably out of the target demo when I *started* going to GovBall in 2014. But I hear you. I think the problem is that the northeast festivals that are catering to a more mature crowd are skewing a little too staid for my tastes. The sweet spot for me are events like Just Like Heaven or what Kilby Block Party was this year.
I admit that it's STILL a bit of a head scratcher to me why LA/SoCal can support so many of these fests and we can't even get one. I suppose we have Sound on Sound in Bridgeport and Sea Hear Now in NJ but those seem a bit...too.....boring (as you've pointed out). I think the issue with NYC is that the people that can afford/have an interest in those genres are likely older/have kids now thus if they ARE going to shell out for a festival it has to be in a cool setting and/or a can't-miss lineup which is tough to do in this area since many acts don't want to necessarily sacrifice their NYC date. Who knows...maybe we'll get an All Points West revival in Jersey City eventually?
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
I admit that it's STILL a bit of a head scratcher to me why LA/SoCal can support so many of these fests and we can't even get one. I suppose we have Sound on Sound in Bridgeport and Sea Hear Now in NJ but those seem a bit...too.....boring (as you've pointed out). I think the issue with NYC is that the people that can afford/have an interest in those genres are likely older/have kids now thus if they ARE going to shell out for a festival it has to be in a cool setting and/or a can't-miss lineup which is tough to do in this area since many acts don't want to necessarily sacrifice their NYC date. Who knows...maybe we'll get an All Points West revival in Jersey City eventually?
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
Yeah though I was using the measuring stick of stuff in Pasadena, Indio, San Berdnadino, etc as being LA-area which, I guess, applied 1:1 would include Bridgeport and Asbury Park. You are correct in that they are a HAUL out of the city (Asbury Park moreso than Bridgeport).
I admit that it's STILL a bit of a head scratcher to me why LA/SoCal can support so many of these fests and we can't even get one. I suppose we have Sound on Sound in Bridgeport and Sea Hear Now in NJ but those seem a bit...too.....boring (as you've pointed out). I think the issue with NYC is that the people that can afford/have an interest in those genres are likely older/have kids now thus if they ARE going to shell out for a festival it has to be in a cool setting and/or a can't-miss lineup which is tough to do in this area since many acts don't want to necessarily sacrifice their NYC date. Who knows...maybe we'll get an All Points West revival in Jersey City eventually?
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
I guess they figure by the time people get to your age and my age they are all living in the suburbs, hence Asbury Park and Bridgeport, leaving those of us actually in the city out of luck! SoCal is one big sprawling suburb so perversely it makes more sense for them to bring people to more central locations or drive out to more picturesque locations.
11/28 Raveonettes (Copenhagen, Denmark) 12/4 Interpol 12/14 LCD Soundsystem 12/31 Billy Joel 1/25 The Killers (Las Vegas) 2/12 Jack White 2/25 Father John Misty 3/6 Inhaler 4/10 Franz Ferdinand 4/17 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 5/15 Amyl & the Sniffers 5/18 Fontaines D.C. 9/1 Oasis
One of my coworkers went yesterday. They said she even dropped a new song, and though it was crazy, the videos make it seem even more crowded than it was. Huge headliner energy though. That rocket took OFF this year.
She's red hot right now! Supposedly headlining that new festival at Forest Hills that they're announcing the lineup for tomorrow. I would have much rather seen her than Sabrina Carpenter on Saturday.
In mega-hindsight, I should've saved up for Sunday VIP and gone - we'll never have such a badass lineup again like that.
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
Yeah though I was using the measuring stick of stuff in Pasadena, Indio, San Berdnadino, etc as being LA-area which, I guess, applied 1:1 would include Bridgeport and Asbury Park. You are correct in that they are a HAUL out of the city (Asbury Park moreso than Bridgeport).
Also LA is car culture, where you can drive to those spots. NYC, most of us don't have a car and then the parking situation isn't nearly as organized or generous.
I admit that it's STILL a bit of a head scratcher to me why LA/SoCal can support so many of these fests and we can't even get one. I suppose we have Sound on Sound in Bridgeport and Sea Hear Now in NJ but those seem a bit...too.....boring (as you've pointed out). I think the issue with NYC is that the people that can afford/have an interest in those genres are likely older/have kids now thus if they ARE going to shell out for a festival it has to be in a cool setting and/or a can't-miss lineup which is tough to do in this area since many acts don't want to necessarily sacrifice their NYC date. Who knows...maybe we'll get an All Points West revival in Jersey City eventually?
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
Agreed! The September festivals are fine, but relatively “safe”. I’m in the older crowd that appreciates stuff that’s been around, but gets genuinely excited by newer indie acts breaking in. At Sea.Hear.Now two years ago Green Day and Stevie Nicks were good but I enjoyed Wet Leg as much as anything.
If Kilby Block Party was anywhere within 6 hours’ driving of me (central NJ) I would’ve gone the last three years. C’mon promoters, listen up!
And even Sea.Hear.Now and Soundside (nee: Sound on Sound) aren't really NYC-area festivals unless you take a pretty generous view of what's considered NYC-area. You *can* do either as a single-day commute from the city, but as popartist pointed out a few years ago for SHN, it sucks.
Agreed! The September festivals are fine, but relatively “safe”. I’m in the older crowd that appreciates stuff that’s been around, but gets genuinely excited by newer indie acts breaking in. At Sea.Hear.Now two years ago Green Day and Stevie Nicks were good but I enjoyed Wet Leg as much as anything.
If Kilby Block Party was anywhere within 6 hours’ driving of me (central NJ) I would’ve gone the last three years. C’mon promoters, listen up!
Don't forget Shaky Knees in Atlanta, they seem to have been able to sustain just fine as well, went to that a few years ago (2018 IIRC) and really enjoyed it.
11/28 Raveonettes (Copenhagen, Denmark) 12/4 Interpol 12/14 LCD Soundsystem 12/31 Billy Joel 1/25 The Killers (Las Vegas) 2/12 Jack White 2/25 Father John Misty 3/6 Inhaler 4/10 Franz Ferdinand 4/17 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 5/15 Amyl & the Sniffers 5/18 Fontaines D.C. 9/1 Oasis
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