A Congressional Note: I do not plan to publish daily reviews, however, following the first day of Gov Ball (Friday), there was a strong first impression that I wanted to immediately share.
To reiterate the festival's popular slogan, to whoever curated Gov Ball 2017, “you're doing great” so far! Not only was Friday filled with a strong bill of artists all day, from Francis and the Lights to headliner Chance The Rapper, but Friday's lineup also featured multiple artists that when paired together simply made sense.
Related: Music Festival Checklist
our city is doing front flips #govballnyc 📷:@jnsilva (Photo Courtesy of the Governors Ball Music Festival)
Chance and Francis, for example, were friends, as well as collaborators. And during the afternoon Francis and the Lights set, Chance came on stage for the final song, “May I Have This Dance” (no question mark), an appearance six hours before his headlining set. Similarly, Chance had Francis come through to perform his song on the main stage later that evening.
Other artists such as Lorde and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff share similar ties. Although Lorde did not make an afternoon appearance to perform alongside the band (and I wouldn't expect her to), Antonoff was a key writer on Lorde's to be released sophomore album “Melodrama” and he helped the Queen perform two songs from the album, as well as a piano cover.
Lastly, another example was a pairing that electronic fans will be happy to read: Flume and Tove Lo. As Flume's set neared an end, he began to build up suspense for “Say It” and naturally, Tove Lo came out for a live rendition.
Flume also performed his “Tennis Court” remix, and although Lorde was sadly not present, she was certainly missed.
Nonetheless, the Gov Ball curators built a bill unlike other festivals. Guests might be a common occurrence at festivals, but not like that first day at Gov Ball where multiple artists were featured who were not only peers and collaborators, but also friends.
Again, “you're doing great” and I can't wait for an amazing weekend ahead of me!
Cover Photo by Taylor Hill Photo
