The National, Big Grams, FKA Twigs, Shamir Gear Up For Treasure Island Music Festival This Weekend

Over the course of nine years, Treasure Island Music Festival has built itself up as an alternative yet accessible mid-autumn event specifically tailored to the musical tastes of San Franciscans. This year will be no exception, as the festival returns next weekend boasting an exciting lineup packed with both established and up-and-coming acts, as well as a new comedy tent called “The Blah Blah Blah.” In keeping with tradition, the first day of the weekend-long festival will feature electronic and hip-hop acts, with big names like Run the Jewels, FKA Twigs and Big Grams supporting DJ headliner deadmau5. Sunday will heavily favor rock and indie rock acts, with The National closing out the festival following CHVRCHES, The War on Drugs and the ever-entertaining, sardonic Father John Misty.

Though Treasure Island may be comparatively smaller than its local late-summer counterpart, Outside Lands, one of the unique advantages of the festival is that no musical performances overlap, so concertgoers have the opportunity to see every single band. Regardless, here are eight performances over the course of this weekend between Oakland and San Francisco that no attendee should miss.

1. The National While The National will be the final band to take the stage next weekend, they are probably the most anticipated act in the Treasure Island lineup. Having completed touring for their sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me, in late 2014, the band is currently between albums and has played only a handful of shows this year. Nevertheless, festival attendees should be excited for what The National will put together for their Treasure Island set list, given that they were (refreshingly!) not part of this summer’s run-of-the-mill festival circuit. The National has always been a strong live act; this writer distinctly remembers an impressive performance the band gave at a Sasquatch Festival side-stage in 2008 after a lengthy delay at the U.S.-Canadian border forced them to miss their mid-day performance on the main stage. Armed with their heavy, melancholic tunes and a vicious presence on stage, their second Treasure Island Music Festival performance is sure to send festivalgoers home awestruck and electrified, perhaps even more so than deadmau5’s Saturday night EDM dance party

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 2. Big Grams Following Azealia Banks’ unsurprising drop from the TIMF lineup, festival organizers managed to snag Big Grams, the new collaboration between electronic rock band Phantogram and rapper Big Boi, as her replacement. This addition to the lineup is a major upgrade that almost every attendee should be able to get behind. Though this will be one of their first performances together as a group, after dropping a solid seven-song album last month themed on the seven deadly sins, this incredibly talented trio appears poised to be one of the standout acts of this year’s festival. The music of Big Grams is unexpected yet easily accessible, a pleasing balance of melody and rap prominently featuring both the smooth, compelling vocals of Sarah Barthel and the free-flowing lyrics of Big Boi. The beat-heavy “Lights On” will undoubtedly inspire festivalgoers to dance, while rap-heavy tracks like “Born to Shine” will thrill the hip-hop fans in attendance. While Big Grams’ eponymous debut album clocks in at a brief 26-minutes, they will be given a 45-minute slot to close down the Tunnel Stage on Saturday night. Given the sheer amount of talent in this collaboration, hopefully they improvise to fill every moment allotted in their allotted time.

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 3. CHVRCHES In a Sunday lineup full of rock and indie rock acts, the very danceable synthpop of CHVRCHES will be a refreshing change of pace. The band is currently touring in support of their highly anticipated sophomore album, Every Open Eye, which stands as a strong follow-up to their debut album while showcasing their growth as a band. As their music has matured, so too has their live performance. While CHVRCHES has received criticism for being too “clean” and lacking stage presence, later shows in support of The Bones of What You Believe revealed a strong lead in singer Lauren Mayberry, and an exhilarating presence on stage by a band with soaring synth lines and driving rhythms. Though the band will take the Bridge Stage just before The National closes out the festival, Mayberry and her band mates will surely demonstrate why they are worthy of headliner status. The combination of hit songs from both of their albums, including “The Mother We Share,” “Clearest Blue,” and “Gun” to name a few, make them one of the top acts of Treasure Island Music Festival, and one that no attendee should miss.

4. FKA Twigs Known for her trippy, sexy brand of experimental music, FKA Twigs is also gaining notoriety for her mesmerizing live performances. Frequently compared to the likes of Björk and Massive Attack, FKA Twigs has quickly branded herself a master of the grey space between where fine art and music intersect. On stage, her heavy, seductive songs draw in her audience as she dances with stage lights that accentuate an experience that feels like it is taking place entirely in slow motion. Riding the success of her acclaimed full-length debut, LP1, Twigs released a fresh EP in August entitled M3LL155X, featuring five songs as fresh and obscure as her debut. Though she operates on a completely different wavelength than Robyn, the artist she is replacing at Treasure Island, FKA Twigs’ performance will be a special treat for festival attendees, her presence injecting both flavor and originality to the Saturday lineup.

5. Father John Misty Currently touring in support of his latest release I Love You, Honeybear Father John Misty (also known as Joshua Tillman of Fleet Foxes) will take the Bridge Stage late Sunday afternoon. If his recent satirical covers of Taylor Swift (in the style of The Velvet Underground) are any indication, Father John Misty is without a doubt one of the most entertaining rock musicians on stage today. But while he may slink and meander around stage during songs and deliver sharp, salty cracks between them, the messages of disillusionment and confusion in love he will preach throughout his performance are no joke. These themes permeate nearly every track on Honeybear. The heavily electronic “True Affection” touches on isolation and frustration, while the hard-hitting “The Ideal Husband” bears all of Misty’s flaws as a human being, exposing both anger and doubt. During his performance at TIMF, most in the audience will laugh, some may cry, but all will feel his powerful, personal songs and a persona that hits uncomfortably close to home.

6. José González Few singer-songwriters possess the sheer combination of musical and lyrical talent that José González exhibits in his studio work and live performances. First achieving notoriety for his beautiful covers, inclusive of The Knife’s smash hit “Heartbeats,” González has come to achieve recognition for his fantastic solo work, which invokes a minimalist style that features classical guitar melodies and soft vocals. Prior to his most recent solo album, titled Vestiges & Claws, González also played a large role (along with his band Junip) in the soundtrack for motion picture The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Songs like “Stay Alive” and “Let It Carry You” best exemplify González’s music. Performing smack in the middle of the day on Sunday and immediately following Mary Timony’s accessible punk trio Ex Hex, González’s captivating vocals, calming tunes and sheer overall talent in a live setting make him one of the premier musical acts to see during TIMF.

 7. Shamir

Back in May, 20-year-old Shamir Bailey dropped one of the hottest debuts of 2015. Entitled Rachet, the album recalls groovy, ‘90s dance and hip-hop music and supports a distinctive, unique voice that sets Shamir apart from every other artist at Treasure Island. Songs like “On The Regular” and “Call It Off,” the album’s lead singles, are rhythmic, infectious tracks that will fit in perfectly with the theme of Treasure Island’s Saturday lineup. Situated at the Tunnel Stage and performing between Gorgon City (Live) and the insanely popular Run the Jewels, Shamir may also be TIMF’s best kept secret for 2015. Those taking the opportunity to see him will be rewarded with a performance from a promising young artist whose songs boast beats and lyrical flow that rival today’s premier hip-hop artists.

8. Baio Taking a break from his role as bassist for indie rock stars Vampire Weekend, Chris Baio set out on his own to explore life as a solo artist following the band’s last release in 2011. While his first single, “Sunburn Modern,” was released the following year, his first full-length record, The Names, was only just released in September. Collectively, the album adopts a sound less aggressive than the riff-happy songs of Vampire Weekend that is slightly more experimental and reminiscent of the electronic beats frequently employed by artists like Neon Indian. Songs like “Brainwash yyrr Face” exemplify the contour that Baio’s musically interesting, chill solo material offers Treasure Island. Baio plays the Tunnel Stage early on Saturday, so attendees should be sure to come early to see this talented and unique solo artist.

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