Governor’s Ball 2017 Kicks Off Friday- Essential Questions & Answers (FESTIVAL PREVIEW)

Festivals require choices, right?  Multiple stages, and so many food options, art installations, freebies, vendors, and other diversions.  Which group of friends do you hang with or do you wander off with a newly-made honey?  Commit to full sets or graze?  See a band you’ve already seen or discover someone new?  Plan the schedule, or let the day unfold for itself?  Stake territory up on the rail or lay down in the back of the field with friends in the sun and let the music be the background?  And when do you find the time for hanging in the shade or perfecting your mini-golf game?  Or eating!

Governor’s Ball on Randall’s Island on June 2nd to 4th in New York City tries to make those selections as easy as possible.  With four stages of music of which only two are running simultaneously and the widest range of musical genres, it seems possible to catch every band you want, discover a few new ones, and get in all the Festival Life you need.  But no, Gov Ball just has so much going on, that even if you decide to skip a few bands, you still can’t get in every experience you’re going to want.

So here’s some help with your decisions:

Q:  Do I cut out of work/school early on Friday to check out the first bands?

A:  Well even if the opening acts, hip hop/rapper Tkay Maidza (Fri 12:15 – 12:45, Gov Ball NYC) or dance artist Jenaux (Fri 12:15 – 12:45, Honda), are not your cup of tea, the worst case scenario is you can wander off to eat and won’t have to wait in line for a lobster roll at Luke’s Lobster during the dinner rush.

Bonus Answer:  Go early all three days and check out Brits VANT (Sat 12:15 – 12:45, Gov Ball NYC) for some driving rock; and  Jack Martini (Sun 11:45 – 12:05, Bacardi), an Italian multi-instrumentalist pop, but most definitely in time for rocker Mondo Cozmo (Sun 12:45 – 1:30, Big Apple).

Q:  What’s the best way to get to Gov Ball?

A:  Whether it’s from The Bronx, Queens or Manhattan, share a NYC experience and walk over the Triborough Bridge with the masses.  For those who prefer a different experience try the East River ferry right to the Gov Ball gates.

Q:  Who are those undercard artists I should check out?

A:  Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires (Fri 3:45 – 4:45, Bacardi) have upped their game over the past few years in heavy festival rotation, and Bradley’s stage presence and timely and political lyrics backed by a full band are not to be missed.  Michael Kiwanuka (Fri 5:45 – 6:45, Big Apple), whose November 2016 NYC show was cancelled, is back in town and it’s worth checking out his pipes and stripped-down soulful sound.  The heavy and passionate voice and guitar of Jehsea Wells in Welles (Sat 12:45 – 1:30, Big Apple) is yet another reason to beat the crowds on Saturday and get into the festival early.  The upbeat pop of Saint Motel (Sat 3:00 – 3:45, Gov Ball NYC) will rouse you from any Saturday afternoon slump.  On Sunday, all-female atmospheric rock quartet Warpaint (Sun 3:45 – 4:45, Big Apple) sounds eerie and promising as does the spooky voice and harder rock of Royal Blood (Sun 4:45 – 5:45, Gov Ball NYC).  But with in-their-prime alt rocker outfit Cage The Elephant (Sun 6:45 – 8:00, Gov Ball NYC) and electronic rock duo Phantogram (Sun 6:45 – 8:00, Honda) playing at the same time… you’ll have to make a decision.

Q:  Which headliners should I choose?

With top tier acts all evening, either pick is great but Gov Ball rarely pits the same genre against each other.  Could rapper Logic (Sun 8:00 – 9:15, Big Apple) and French electronic atmospheric AIR (Sun 8:00 – 9:15, Bacardi) be more different?  Or the stylized alt rock band Phoenix (Sat 9:15 – 11:00, Gov Ball NYC) and the funk-heavy R&B of Childish Gambino (Sat 9:15 – 11:00, Honda)?  The juxtaposition of Tool (Sun 9:15 – 11:00, Gov Ball NYC) and Wiz Khalifa (Sun 9:15 – 11:00, Honda) both closing out Sunday should lead to an easy decision even if you love both metal and rap.  You’ve got to figure out if your tired brain and heavy limbs can better handle Tool’s heavy riffs or Wiz Khalifa’s  catchy flow after a long weekend of musical stimulation.  But even if you still can’t decide, Gov Ball is compact enough to make the-five minute walk between stages to split the time slot between the two acts.

Q:  Finally, Gov Ball is asking – Mark Ronson vs Kevin Parker (Sat 8:00 – 9:15, Big Apple)?

A:  You’ll have to decide for yourself.  Whether they’ll be trading DJ duties or bringing up guests or something else completely, they’re both on the same stage asking for your opinion.

There are a couple of things you won’t have to decide on.  Chance the Rapper (Fri 9:45 – 11:00, Gov Ball NYC) is one of the few artists who has his own time slot closing out the GovBall NYC stage on Friday night.  The weather is not in your control – the forecast keeps improving – so just prepare and embrace it.  And no matter what act you are most excited to see, you’ll discover new ones to love.

Now, if you haven’t made the most important choice yet, decide to get the last of the tickets that are available at www.governorsballmusicfestival.com

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