The Governor’s Ball Music Festival made its way to Randall’s Island Park in NYC for the sixth year, this weekend (June 2-4, 2017). As one of the best and largest musical events in the Northeast this summer, a little rain could not put a damper on Friday’s enthusiastic kickoff.
Cool music calls for cooler fashion. Space buns with bright, multicolored glitter roots and interesting, geometric makeup were some more popular trends seen at Gov Ball this year. Many girls were rocking the open knit fishnets look often paired with ripped jeans and a crop top, or a bodysuit. The 90s are definitely back in style with a noteworthy amount of platform shoes, mini backpacks and two-piece outfits seen.
The air was filled with delicious aromas from the 50+ gourmet cuisine vendors. Any craving could be satisfied with the variety of food, spanning from fresh coconut drinks to sushi burritos to dō’s famous cookie dough confections.
From hip hop to alternative folk, every performance was memorable for every type of music junkie across all four stages. Over 25 artists performed on Friday, but over 70 of the hottest names in music will be performing this weekend in total.
Francis and the Lights gave an electrifyingly energetic set on Friday afternoon, showing off the same incredible dance moves with Chance the Rapper from their new music video for “May I Have this Dance”. Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires delivered a deep, soulful performance, appearing as a modern-day James Brown donning a red 3-piece suit. Complete with a horns section, Charles Bradley could’ve been a Motown star.
Danny Brown beamed on stage, spitting his rhymes accompanied by a DJ. At first listen, Brown sounds similar in tone and style to Kendrick Lamar. ScHoolboy Q gave an interesting DJ-led performance as well. The crowd was in for a surprise when Kehlani was joined on stage by Chance the Rapper during “The Way” in her set.
Pop queens, Charlie XCX and Tove Lo, both generated a huge turnout. Many dancing in the crowd to their synthetic, electronic hits. The Bleachers shined on stage with a fervent set as well. The Strumbellas, an alternative 5-person band from Canada, radiated positive vibes to their crowd of loving, dedicated fans.
The most anticipated guests of Friday’s kickoff were internationally known artists, Lorde and Chance the Rapper. Lorde’s sunset performance perfectly reflected the ambiance, with flash tattooed dancers in the crowd and beautiful pop ballads. Chance the Rapper summoned a tremendous sea of superfans. It was impossible to ignore the overarching roar of the group rapping his heartwarming songs along with him, including a few Kanye picks.
The star-studded festival only gets better as the weekend rolls on. Saturday featured performances by Wu-Tang Clan , Rae Sremmund, YG and Childish Gambino. Sunday closes the weekend with performances by Mac DeMarco, Logic and Wiz Khalifa.
