APW: Muddy Times

Funny that I chose to attend all 3 days of the APW music fest less than a week after returning from my two-month sojourn in Peru. How I longed for this music fest to break my fast from NYC shows and adventures, and how the fest was somehow very un-New York, offering rugged outdoorsy fun with a distinct hippie flair. A 3-day event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ, with 3 different stages and different headliner acts for each night, the weather was less than favorable and yet the excitement of the festival prevailed over the inconveniences of rain and mud.

The event organizers were kind enough to honor Friday ticket-holders free entrance for the following days due to the inclement weather, while Saturday, a gloriously sunny day, was the embodiment of festival-goers' weather expectations, minus the puddles and mud. Sunday, another rainy day, offered the most disappointing start, in that entrance was delayed until the weather cleared up. All in all, it was a very saturated weekend.

Pictures below.

Friday, July 31:

(even though the Beastie Boys canceled...)

(above, the "Do Lab," featuring DJ's, dancing and mud-wrestling ...)

(above, lemonade stand knocked down because of the wind! Right before it started raining Friday).

(above, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

(above, Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

(above, count down for Jay-Z, who replaced the Beastie Boys as Friday's headliner)
(above, Jay-Z performing)



(above, some of the art installations at APW)


Saturday, August 1:

(above, the Cool Kids performing)



(above 3 pictures, St. Vincent performing - lovely!!)


Sunday, August 2:

(The Black Keys, performing, above pictures)
(MGMT, pictures above, and videos below)

A music festival inherently has its pros and cons. Of APW this year...

PRO'S: many music acts every day, wide open spaces, all-day event, outdoors, amazing view of NYC skyline, art installations

CON'S: sound quality not as good as indoor venues, short set times, Beastie Boys canceled (!), drinks and food very over-priced, overlapping set times between stages (a problem if there are two different bands playing at the same time that you're interested in seeing!)

Overall, it was worth it... but I am looking forward to more indoor shows and nightlife as well!

(See Metromix's reviews of the bands and 3 days at APW here)

Review and Pictures of Beck and MGMT

The United Palace Theater, where MGMT and Beck played, is way up in Harlem, on 175th St. to be exact. Getting there was no problem; getting home afterward was a little more of a hassle, but definitely worth it. The United Palace Theater is gorgeous.
Inside was seating, featuring a little less-than-preferably low ceilings but great views of the stage. I arrived mid-way through MGMT's performance. They had spotlights on stage but otherwise put their energy into the songs and not into visual appeal for the audience. I was satisfied that I arrived in time to hear their live performance of their songs "Kids" and "Electric Feel." I am excited to hear future releases by MGMT and see how they develop. (MGMT describes their musical style as "Healing/Easy Listening/Soul" on their Myspace page; somehow, that combination works for them, though I would be more inclined to call their genre folk-pop.)

(MGMT, above)

There followed a brief intermission as the stage was prepared for Beck.

And Beck's performance lived completely up to my expectations, playing music from his older albums as well as his more recent releases. He and his bandmates put on a good performance; for the most part, they stuck to their musical roles and let the video backdrop behind them provide the visual complement to their music.
Everyone, or almost everyone, was standing during their performance. And a lot of us, like myself, were also dancing. Good times.

Wednesday Music Events!

I am really stoked that I will be seeing both Beck and MGMT tonight. I think it is going to be an absolutely amazing show! I have been a fan of Beck's for years and have never seen him perform before; so tonight's show will be quite the treat, especially with MGMT opening for him! They are playing at United Palace Theater in Harlem, a venue I have also never been to previously. So, the evening ahead is looking quite electric!

(Beck, above)

The Beck/MGMT shows are sold out, but playing for three consecutive nights, so checking out craigslist.org or ebay.com, or trolling the area for an extra ticket prior to the show may yield you your very own lucky ticket to the event. But if you are not intersted in scavenging for a ticket and are looking for a fun electro-experimental show or an interesting evening in Brooklyn, musical or otherwise, I recommend the show below.

Barbara Morgenstern is apparently a musical superstar in Germany; to the American ear, she offers German-tinged electro-experimental music. See her Myspace page here.

Barbara Morgenstern
Berlin underground favorite Barbara Morgenstern www.barbaramorgenstern.de has come across the ocean to New York. Come hear a bit of what the Berlin scene is creating, and see why it's as interesting as it appears to be.
Buy tickets here!
Barbara Morgenstern is playing at Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. The show is at 8 pm; tickets are only $10!