This year’s Governors Ball, like the ones that preceded it, proved that the music was in fact equivalent to the spectacle. Thousands upon thousands of music lovers convened on New York’s Randall’s Island to witness some of the most talented artists today do what they do best: give their all on the stage. Florence and the Machine’s set, though short, oozed soulful sensuality despite Florence Welch herself battling a foot injury. Her voice was piercingly stunning throughout the entire performance, which was mind blowing since it was on such a large scale. Bjork simply basked in her always interesting grand pop drama, with her electric enthusiasm pushing its way to the forefront. When the crowd wasn’t hanging on every lyric from her expansive catalogue, they were keeping their eyes peeled for costume changes. Drake’s undeniable charisma illuminated the stage and kept crowd members thoroughly engaged; in lieu of his ridiculous jungle themed background his dervish rhymes and swaggering persona were in all of its glory. The most interesting moment of Governors Ball, though, was the sporadic raging of bad blood between Ryan Adams and Deadmau5. They both had the same set times at different stages. The sound bleed from Deadmau5’s stage interrupted Adams, who then remarked that anyone could make music that sounded like Deadmau5 on their phone. Each respective artist completed their set unhinged; Deadmau5 induced pummeling dub seizures while Adams embarked on ear corroding guitar phrases. The festival left onlookers exhausted and rejuvenated at the same time–we can’t wait to see what unfolds next year!
Photo Credit: Santiago Felipe