There were many things amiss with All Points West, the music festival that took place over three days this past weekend at Liberty State Park. Tickets were costly ($89), the ferry that "easily" transported people from downtown Manhattan to the island was plagued by long lines and the lineup left many people cold. Radiohead headlined Friday and Saturday, and ultimately, a whole lot of fans seemed to care only about them, camping in front of the main stage around 1pm and holding down the fort until their chosen band hit the stage at 8.30pm, both nights.
Alcohol provided little relief. To be able to drink you had to obtain a wristband with five notches; every time you bought a beer an overworked barmaid would pull one notch away. Five beers over several hours seemed a pretty severe restriction. Add to that the extremely long lines for both these wristbands and the overpriced beer ($7 for a Bud), and being forced to sit in a designated beer pen, complete with chainlink fence, while you drank, some distance from the music.
Still, there were highlights, not including Radiohead. The days turned out to be beautiful, the views of Manhattan and (the back of) the Statue of Liberty, spectacular. And some bands showed up ready to give New Yorkers the urban festival we've sorely deserved. My roundup of Friday and Saturday:
Animal Collective: opening for Kings of Leon and Radiohead on Saturday, Animal Collective brought real energy to the fest. One impossibly long, snaking track they played was a combination of "Fireworks", "Lablakely Dress" and "Essplode." If you haven't heard any of these, you should. "Fireworks" is a blast of beat-heavy reverb with some uncharacteristically poppy elements, and "Essplode" is a perfect combination of poignant singing and driven rhythm. Yes, they're weird, and yes, sometimes it just sounds like a mess. But watching this act in their prime is worth these lulls and the buzz they'll leave behind in your ears. Unlike a lot of the acts, Animal Collective seemed willing to take actual risks onstage. Though people often describe Radiohead as "experimental," Animal Collective put that notion to shame.
Grizzly Bear: Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear had a crappy set position on the smallest stage, mid-day on Friday, but didn't seem to mind. Their trippy, psychedelic rock brought to mind the 60s/70s, as did the audience, many of whom lay in the grass, taking it all in. Ed Droste's voice at various points reminded me of Jeff Buckley, though it might be pointless to say that Radiohead could be seen as an influence, too. Again, Grizzly Bear seemed fresher and more willing to experiment than the big band that was headlining. "On a Neck, On a Spit" is simply a great song, with woozy lyrics and a lovely, bluegrass guitar. Perfect for a summer day, even one without beer.
Nicole Atkins: a big surprise on Saturday, and a beautiful voice. Her pop might have faded away with the crowd, if it weren't for the total rock star attitude she had onstage.
Metric: brought the electric dance, and Emily Haines, their hot female lead, wins the prize for shortest shorts of the weekend — gold lamé shorts, no less.They opened with a completely rocking version of "Dead Disco." It might ultimately all be a little cheesy (and done by the Faint and so many others), but on Saturday it was a very welcome infusion of fun.
Underworld: played on Friday night right before Radiohead. Most people seemed not all that keen on the British electro duo, who have been around FOREVER, but I was amazed at how well they still do what they do. "Born Slippy" was, of course, on the roster, but I was too busy dancing to keep track of the rest of their set, and that's a very good thing.
Disappointments of the weekend: the New Pornographers, whose soft-indie-rock seemed a little insipid in such a big venue. Kings of Leon are a straightforward rock band with some very catchy songs; they played right before Radiohead on Saturday, at which point I decided to try my fate in the beer pen. One Rolling Stone writer present at the show commented on how much he liked Kings of Leon, further reinforcing my overall negative impression. The 1950s soul of Duffy, recently hailed by Spin as a less-screwed-up Amy Winehouse, seemed weirdly out of place on Friday, while I was forced to miss out on Mates of State, much-touted Girl Talk and Andrew Bird in the effort to catch other (simultaneous) acts.
Chilling out to Grizzly Bear
The beer pen had strict rules and steep prices
Many fans camped out in front of the main stage, ignoring the other two stages to wait (all day) for Radiohead
