Every year since 2007, a mob has descended on the quiet and remote Treasure Island to have their eardrums pummeled by some of the best music going around. The first day is devoted to electronica and hip hop/rap, while the second is dedicated to rock and indie music, so there’s truly something for everyone. Other draws are the 60-foot Ferris wheel and a Silent Disco where the only music playing is in the crowd’s headphones. But, before you head out to that rock in the middle of the Bay, here’s a nifty little cheat sheet of a few must-see musicians.
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 (Oct 15 @ 8:45p): If you’re looking to mosh and don’t mind your ear drums being blown out, Death from Above 1979 is just the band for you. Jesse F. Keeler (also known for his work on MSTRKRFT) and Sebastien Grainger shook the music world with their raw mish-mash of punk, hip-hop, dance music, and loads of volume. Like most good things, it came to an end too soon when they decided to disband in 2005. But take heart! They were just playing games with your heart and are back and ready to make it all better again.
YACHT (Oct 15 @ 2:15p): Seeing YACHT live is a bit like going to Jim Jones’ People’s Temple; you know, before things got out of hand and the Kool-Aid brand was sullied. Musician/multimedia artist Jona Bechtolt (formerly of The Blow) and vocalist/media artist Claire L. Evans use their electro-dance beats and sing-along choruses to indoctrinate you into their music cult. You might be doubtful now, but you’ll most likely change your tune. At the last YACHT show I attended, Jona got everyone to kneel on the beer-sticky floor as he led all of us in a chant. Still not convinced? Check out their music video for “Psychic City” above, in which Jona gets a little carried away with communion wafers.
BEACH HOUSE (Oct 16 @ 6:00p): Baltimore-based duo Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have been producing the soundtrack to my dreams for years now. It’s a landscape of delicate synths, mournful organs, and Legrand’s ghost-like vocals. When their records end, you get the same feeling as when you wake too early from a dream and start the routine of forgetting, that instant nostalgia and the mad urge to get it all back. Warning: their live show will almost surely turn you into that person who is swaying with their eyes shut, smiling like a fool.