The sets have been stowed away, the trash glistens in the hot sun, and the trodding footsteps of local Williamsburg/Greenpoint residents return to their normally scheduled…walks. Another Northside Festival ends. Three reporters were on hand to dictate what they saw, heard, and experienced. Everything from silk screen hoodies for Kiani Angus-Torres to snot rockets shot by Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington, narrowly missing me and my camera.

Some of our reviews will include voices from two of our writers who were there — just in case you disagree or agree more with one or the other.

Pictures of bands are below.

THURSDAY JUNE 24, 2010

Mike and I met Kiani Angus-Torres in Northside Fest’s HQ, down on Bedford Ave. I was calling every writer I knew to see who would be available to cover for Mike Saturday and Sunday. No one was available. Upon hearing my distress, Kiani stepped in, offering to fill in. Here’s who she saw, heard, met.

Jive Grave @ Bruar Falls
Although their band was missing a drummer and bass for this last minute show, Jive Grave was full of gall and pride, performing music that can be described as the bastard child of Americana and Jazz, complete with twangy guitar solos over smooth keys. Jive Grave provides us with an unmade bed of purposeful chaos, featuring a brass section of a trumpet and bass sax, with Geo Wyeth on keys and guitar. Their fast songs are easy to bop and dance to, but you may very well find yourself stopping to just listen to the raw quality of the lyrics, as sung by a soulful Mr. Wyeth in a bitter blend of broken melody.

Jive Grave is a storytelling collective, whose satisfying performances leave us feeling a little happy, but also a little dirty. One of their tightest tunes, “So Funny; Maybe Death” offers a panoramic view of Wyeth’s own Bed-Stuy neighborhood which makes us nostalgic for the romance of a proper community in which everyone, including the musician living upstairs and the girls playing double-dutch, participates in a collective culture. Songs like this, and bands like Jive Grave, offer a certain depth of perspective and tilt of the lens, through which we see Brooklyn, thus making them an ideal addition0. — Kiani Angus-Torres

Chris Mills @ The Cameo Gallery

Seated under thousands of light-catching hanging strings, singer-songwriter Chris Mills brought some unassuming, mid-western down-home fun to Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery. Mills’ band was a perfect balance of percussion, as played by Konrad Meissner, violin, by Jean Cook, and keys, by Max Crawford. Each element complimented the other, with high energy, and a sense of refreshing deep-felt sincerity.

It’s music you can take home to mom and dad, with enough edge that you’ll still feel hip listening to it on your own. Each song spells out the kind of sentimental moment and that we’ve all had a hum about in our own heads: absurd crushes, turning your frown upside down, or making light of heavy lessons. His between-song chatter, about seeing ‘Toy Story 3’, and his father’s brain surgery, was consistent with his style – matter-of-fact, and personable.

The setting was a bit unfitting – the string sculpture so imposing that it prevented the band from moving with the audience. A venue with a lower stage would have been more suitable for this entertaining ensemble that makes you want to rock out with your sweetheart, or perhaps find a sweetheart to rock out with. — Kiani Angus-Torres

DINOSAUR FEATHERS @ Public Assembly

Local natives from Brooklyn, Dinosaur Feathers performed at the Brooklyn Assembly at this years North Side Festival. The group fuses elements of afro-centrisim, reggae, calypso and soul, which is comparable to Columbia prep-sters Vampire Weekend and the harmonious, but classic Beach Boys. Even though they are only a 3-piece band, their 4th member the drum machine, which was stationed in a suitcase, added a more stylish and ample presence on stage. They provided catchy hooks and harmonies in unison, which almost felt like you were watching the show Jersey Boys. The only thing that gave it away was the member’s only jacket and the Williamsburg style of shorts (cut off jeans or jorts). During their set, they experienced some technical difficulties when their bass player broke a string. But luckily, these guys had a great sense of humor and referenced jokes about providing advice to their audience and jokes about G-d. Hopefully, next show everything will run smoother for them. Otherwise, they better have a list of more material to help warm up the crowd. — Mike Scher

Thao & Mirah with The Most of It All @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

One part folk and one part soul, these ingredients helped solidify the perfect recipe of indie rock songwriting through two renowned artists such as Thao Nguyen and Mirah. This side project or collaborative perspective of playing each other’s songs on stage with the help of backing band “Most of All” was a unique and fresh perspective to performance art that fused new styles of harmonies and a variety of instruments ranging from acoustic & electric guitar, the steel guitar, bongo’s, banjo, violin to the clarinet.

Mirah’s soft whisper, but warm sounded voice mesmerized the audience through her dark chord progressions and lounge sounding (jazz café) instrumentation. Her stand out track was the song “Gone Are the Days.” However, Thao’s high energy and funkier style of music was the perfect added element to her counterpart, especially with her sporadic yells to the crowd and playful storytelling. Her music reminded me a lot of Rilo Kiley, which is not surprising that she opened up for her back in 2008. Her stand out track was “When We Swam.”

Overall, the band was extremely tight and set the bar extremely high for forthcoming side projects. It helped provide a fresh and more exciting outlook to the live show. — Mike Scher

Friday June 25, 2010

MEN @ The Knitting Factory

Kiani’s take on the whole thing:

When in doubt, dance yourself Queer, and look out James Murphy, because MEN just showed you up in your own hood. After enduring several shows with only a handful of head-boppers and torso-twitchers, MEN brought it all on, and then took it all off.

We came upon the Knitting Factory on our way from Union Pool to Trash Bar, and were drawn in by a small crowd of hugging, laughing, smoking, faux-hawk-mullet-headed girls dressed like boys, boys dressed like girls dressed like boys, and the first SOLD OUT sign we’ve seen since the festival started.

The theme for this event, as indicated by the massive black-on-white DIY sign above the stage, was ‘Who Am I To Feel So Free?’, although it should go without questioning that this event was all but completely liberating. JD Samson, backed by nearly nude Michael O’Neil on bass and Ginger Brooks Takahashi on guitar, led the audience in a series of fist-pumping chants reminiscent of early gay-lib marchers, while dropping electro-pop inspired beats, and spitting simple, literal lyrics that almost made you want to think, if you weren’t too busy dancing and checking out the best looking crowd I’ve seen since…the last queer dance party I went to.

The theme was tied together by a performance piece in which the crumpled rainbow flag below the sign came to life, and presented a politically driven spoken-word piece. From the flag emerged a nude woman with short hair and white plastic glasses who kneeled in the middle of the stage as the band joined in, and the audience went wild. — – Kiani Angus-Torres

MEN @ The Knitting Factory

Sometimes walking into a music venue during a festival with the feeling of unfamiliarity of a line-up can help bring a renewed sense of life to the stage. This is because you’re delivered an open playbill of new bands and genres that could potentially be added to your rotation or playlist. For instance, the band “MEN” were one of the acts at this year’s Northside Festival that won me over as well as the packed crowd in Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory. Almost every person in the venue were singing along to the catchy hooks of synthesized indie pop, which reminded me of some preeminent bands such as The Gossip, The Sound and even Devo. This awesome threesome consisted 1/3 male of JD Samson of Le Tigre (female- lead singer /laptop/synthesizer), guitarists Michael O’Neill (male) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (female). The backing rhythm played up their self-effacing style with a unique wardrobe of being topless, while in their underwear dancing around in ballet shoes and high heels, while the singer wore an army one suit. Most importantly, “MEN” not only played the soundtrack to the party, but also instilled important messages of individuality, the idea of being comfortable with one’s own sexuality and women’s rights. Towards the end of the set, an audio file of spoken word was being played as a blanket was removed off the stage and a woman popped up in minimal clothing chanting along hymns about women’s liberation with the singer. The overall tone was extremely supportive. No matter what your sexual preference was or where you came from, there was a strong sense of togetherness amidst the perspiring show-goers.

Despite their serious tone, the band also played quirky upbeat songs that contained unusual lyrics, especially for the song “Credit Card Babies”- – “I’m going to fuck my friends and make a little tiny baby” and another song poking fun at the band 30H3 for biting their style.

Stand Out Tracks:

“Off Our Backs”
“Credit Card Babies”

Overall, “MEN” were one of my favorite bands at this year’s festival. It just comes to show you to stop being responsible by planning an itinerary. Just have fun! — Mike Scher

The Brought Low @ The Trash Bar

After a gay old time at Knitting Factory, we finally made our way over to Trash Bar for a crowd of a different color, or at least a different gender identity. As The Brought Low tuned up and spat a little chatter about rock bands, a member of the audience ceremoniously shouted, “ROCK AND ROOOLLL!!!” and so begun a proper Rock and Roll show. In fine order, the lead singer/guitarist and bassist donned the appropriate attire – worn- out black logo tees, relaxed fitted jeans, and black Vans and Chuck Taylors, respectively. Head-banging? Yes. Fist-pumping? Absolutely. And a sassy PBR & whisky soaked audience to boot. Sample dialogue:

Lead Singer: This song is called ‘Everybody Loves a Whore’

Drunk guy: Fuck you! I hate whores!

The sound was a throwback to post-hair, pre-grunge rock, ala Guns & Roses, with the ever looming influence of Led Zeppelin. The Brought Low is your brother’s band who used to make too much noise in the basement, and who you thought sucked until one of your girlfriends decided they had a crush on the bassist and you actually went to see them, and they actually rocked.  — Kiani Angus-Torres

Saturday June 27, 2010

Mike was in North Carolina for a wedding. Kiani hung out at the Knitting Factory while Carlos roamed endlessly, looking for that great big show.

ZAZA @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Oh! Capital letters! With the country swept up by Tao Lin-style lower case writing, ZAZA ups the irony ante with a set steeped in the dark art of breathy vocals, mopey ambient music and a band name that defiantly sits up straight. Jennifer Fraser’s bass rumbled throughout the music hall and the percussion worked tribal rhythms as she and guitarist, Danny Taylor exchanged vocal duties. It didn’t take long to recognize the Radiohead influence and an audience who appeared to be enjoying themselves. — Carlos Detres

Savoir Adore @ Brooklyn Bowl

Americana/Indie band, Savoir Adore was one of the most anticipated bands of the festival but they could also be mistaken as a charicature of themselves due to Brooklyn’s tendency toward troubadourism rather than balls-out Rock and Roll. One could easily succumb to numb ears after hearing many similar-sounding bands but it would be a mistake. If the critic’s ears are powered off for a few songs, accute emotional moments may occur. Both singers harmonized together under the sparkling dashes of light from the giant disco ball of Brooklyn Bowl and the track of spotlights turned green and blue like halos. The mood matched the music they played; stringed, pained, and often defiant stuff. — Carlos Detres

Reading Rainbow @ The Knitting Factory

How about this? How about we just bang a drum, play some electric guitar, and sing loud and well harmonized? And we call it something simple, cute, and fun, because that’s who we are…. READING RAINBOW! The impact-ful candor of this band was truly refreshing, and their soulful rhythms (finally!) got the crowd dancing, and a couple were even inspired to have a push-up contest! The Philly-based pair, Robbie Gee on guitar and Sarah Eee on drums, were attentive and purposeful in their performance, reminding us that less is more, and may even be more fun. — Kiani Angus-Torres

The Beets @ The Knitting Factory

This carefree, adorable pop-punk/post-punk inspired trio hails from Jackson Heights, Queens. In keeping with Reading Rainbow, who had played just before them, The Beets’ songs were made up of simple melodies and a standing drummer who stuck to banging out the basics — tom, floor tom, and snare. They also seemed to have the freakiest prop of the festival – a lady-manikin head with a black mohawk, and enormous translucent blue eyes.  — Kiani Angus-Torres

xx xy Dance Party @ Public Assembly, Featuring DJ sets by VHS or Beta, Trash Yourself, Kids at the Bar, and more

This free, late night show became the alamo, should anything go wrong, like lackluster bands, closed venues, bar wretches strangling eachother on the street. So the lights went out in the back of Public Assembly and rising with the darkness was the crescendo of dirty, electro goodness, spun by some folks you didn’t know DJ’d — or if you did, you didn’t know they were this good.

The music sounded like a Lords of Acid orgy without all of the silly lyrics and pills. The music was hard, electric, nasty, meaty, and relentless. I admit bad reporting, being ignorant to the names of all of the DJs but you can pick any name and it wouldn’t matter since their styles were so similar, only increasing in gut-wrenching velocity.

I do know this.

There was a girl. She had black hair and a pretty face and she manipulated the music more distinctly skillful than the rest of her crew.  Wherever you are, pretty lady, thank you for rocking out this Saturday night. We needed it. — Carlos Detres

Sunday June 27, 2010

Boy oh boy was it hot on this day but what a way to end a 4 day party.

Les Savy Fav @ Newtown Barge Park – The Metro PCS Stage

This was Rock and Roll. This was a real Rock and Roll band, complete with the savage lead singer and a band that could pick up on its singer’s antics and enhance his presence. I’ve been a fan of Les Savy Fav for a few years and have heard things, things that made the hairs of my skin perk up. Yes, Tim Harrington, lead singer for Les Savy Fav is the barbarian everyone said he was but he was pure beauty; the composed signature of Rock and Roll, bearded and wrought with a passionate zeal to share his love of music and the live show with an audience who had come to see his band play.

Harrington ripped a can of jubilation and pandemonium, inviting audience members to sing the words he was probably too breathless to sing. He would jump off the stage, run through the park, while the stage’s tech crew chased after him, feeding his mic the cable, while it whipped through the crowd. At one point, he stood on a stack of speakers and shot a snot rocket, narrowly missing my face but then he made up for it by grabbing someone’s water bottle and shoving it into my mouth, followed by someone else’s can of beer.

For me, for us, Les Savy Fav closed out the festival properly, leaving its audience something to look forward to next year, and something to look back on for years to come. — Carlos Detres