While some of the other Bobkats went to a different festival, this one had the pleasure of attending the Village Voice sponsored Siren Festival in Coney Island. And while some public transportation issues made it a 3 hour journey from Brooklyn (fuckin' G train), making me miss The Dodos (ahhhhhh!!!), how could one stay bitter on a day filled with such great music? Highlights included Jaguar Love rockin' out, being front row for Steven Malkmus and the Jicks, and seeing Ra Ra Riot finally, but no one topped Islands, who turned a lukewarm sometime listener into a full-fledged fanboy by putting together one of the best live shows I've ever seen. Beginning with "benevolent dictator"/frontman Nick Thornburn singing half of the first song with a silver trashcan over his head, it only got better from there, combining a two-violin attack with hard rock passages, epic marching themes, and some good-time boogying, all of which have made me strongly reconsider their new album, which I had written off after only a few listens. Hmm, maybe I need to see Evil Urges played live to get it...
Enjoy the only good Islands I could find...while this video doesn't come close to the show they put on today, it does have some good antics from their aforementioned dictator. And who doesn't love antics?
(Malkmus photo cred to Nick Scribner)
