Hunt for Musical Goodness at Treasure Island’s Annual Fest

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Author: Isabel Osgood-Roach

San Francisco’s Treasure Island will become a hipster haven this weekend, Oct. 17 and 18, as the Treasure Island Music Festival returns for its third year. Put on by Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment, the event is focused primarily on live music performances. With only one band per time slot, concertgoers are guaranteed to be able to see all musicians in the line-up, a quality that sets Treasure Island apart from other, larger festivals. The venue also features a “vendor village” that sells Bay Area arts and crafts, a ferris wheel, a film lab, an interactive mural and complimentary hair styling. A multitude of dining options cater to those carnivores, vegetarians and vegans hoping to replenish danced-off calories. The festival is designed to be a multifaceted event, with a well-rounded mix of activities accommodating the creative, artistically-inclined crowd.

The lineup on Saturday features primarily dance-inducing electronic/hip-hop acts. Scheduled performances include sweaty mash-up god Gregg Gillis (better known as Girl Talk), master remixers and beat crafters MSTRKRFT, experimental electronic heavyweight Dan Deacon and the upbeat marriage of alternative rock and electro-pop that is Passion Pit. Synth-pop duo MGMT, best known for their energetic radio hit “Electric Feel,” will finish off the night as the lights of San Francisco twinkle across the bay. Saturday concertgoers will undoubtedly stumble home sloppily, bodies beaten to a pulp by pounding beats and raucous crowds.

Sunday’s lineup is a lovely hangover cure, reconciling the previous day’s debauchery with beautiful and lesser known indie rock. The quirky, talented and adorable Thao Nguyen will play with her band, The Get Down Stay Down. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, a group inspired by Southern California’s communal music communities in the 1960s and 1970s, and dreamy folk-rockers Vetiver will also be featured. The second half of the day is an indie music blogger’s love fest. Performers include the textural and intricate Grizzly Bear, whimsical and lovely Beirut, jangling, eccentric rockers The Walkmen, theatrical-musical talents the Decemberists and seasoned experimental rockers Yo La Tengo.

The final act of the festival is esteemed psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips, a group who was named a “Band to See Before You Die” by Q Magazine. Their performances are known to be full-blown spectacles, visually enhancing their already brilliant and optimistic music. The Flaming Lips’ standard shows, filled with outlandish costumes, confetti, puppets, bubbles and bright lights, immerse the audience in a wild frenzy of musical bliss and sensory overload. Their finale to the festival is sure to amaze.

Although Treasure Island does fortuitously coincide with Oxy’s Fall Break, the seven-hour drive and pricey tickets will understandably limit the number of kids willing to make the trek north. However, the lineup alone is a great tool for discovering new music.

Since the festival organizers are often on the forefront of the indie music scene, they feature lesser known, up-and-coming bands. This is also true for other like-minded festivals, such as the South’s Bonaroo, The Pacific Northwest’s Sasquatch and Southern California’s Coachella. Using the lineups of these festivals as a basis for downloading songs is an easy way to expand one’s iTunes library and musical horizons. Although the thrill of massive crowds and a shared sense of catharsis may be unique to concert-going, the beauty of music isn’t bound by expensive tickets and long drives.

A Treasure Island Music Festival ticket for one day costs $75 (with fees), while a two-day pass sells for $130. For more information visit treasureislandfestival.com

For those compiling their Festival roadtrip playlist or for those just looking for a sweet blend of sound, check out the following tracks by these Treasure Island Acts.

1.) Like This – Girl Talk 2.) Heartbreaker (ft. John Legend) – MSTRKFT 3.) Crystal Cat – Dan Deacon 4.) Sleepyhead – Passion Pit 5.) Bag of Hammers – Thao Nguyen 6.) Home – Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros 7.) More of This – Vetiver 8.) Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear 9.) Mount Wroclai – Beirut 10.) We’ve Been Had – The Walkmen 11.) The Engine Driver – The Decemberists 12.) Autumn Sweater – Yo La Tengo 13.) Do You Realize?? – The Flaming Lips

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