The notion of the last is an interesting one. What sort of value is placed upon a thing when we know it is the last? Well, with Siren Fest we got to ponder that quandary twice over and Im hoping there may be one more last year in the works.
This year, Siren Fest had by far the best lineup we here in the big city have seen from our Coney Island rite of passage. It had more than enough wattage to get any music lover through the crowds, asphalt, heat and heartburn. The festival fell on another startlingly sunny day, meaning by noon on Surf Ave. there was not a button of shade to be found, but the festival quickly got underway with Dragons of Zynth quite the distraction. This band is so pretty to look at, their brightness made them look as though they had fallen off the Coney Island banners hanging behind them. They got the fest off to a rollicking start, but I didnt really start moving until These are Powers took the Stilwell stage, now theres a band that knows how to deliver the beat. Powers also did some call and response with vocals and bass lines and used a slide to make well placed high pitch screeches. Small note; both Dragons of Zynth and These are Powers used coughing as part of their song structures. I thought that was a weird coincidence.
The run for the first two bands between stages set the pace for the rest of the day, as is the way of the Siren. Next up I hit Parts and Labor on Surf, fast as it is loud their music is something that really deserves a full set and some darkness. From there I caught Film School. I got there in time to hear all of Compare which Im assuming they opened with. They were actually the only band to complain about the barricade between the stage and crowd that held the photo/press pit. I admit its a large space, but last year almost every band commented on it which I didnt find totally necessary I mean its filled with a bunch of people who want to take your picture and write nice stories about you, right? I dont get it.
From there I did the double run that I was looking forward to most. First was Dodos which was a small baby bit disappointing. I rotated Visiter a fair amount this spring/summer so I guess my expectations were unfairly high. I did hear it whispered that the band was exhausted and it really seemed that way on stage. They still brought out some really fun instruments like a Musser Vibraphone, a Metal trashcan for Red and Purple, and a totally awesome acoustic guitar that sounded out of another time. After the Dodos went back over to hear a little of Times New Viking. Rocked out for a few songs but realized when they were all sounding the same that it was time for a little break. Clearly my brain was melting.
I ate a hot dog and took a little turn on the Wonder Wheel which was way scarier then I remembered it to be. It did give me a beautiful view of the festival and Astroland at large, so many people. I may have taken a bit of time but I did make it back in time to see the very last of Jaguar Love. Given that I was never a huge Blood Brothers or Pretty Girls fan I didnt think Id find the music all too exciting, but it definitely rang true. People were pretty hyped up too; I guess the album did leak only four days previous.
We had a quiet moment next with Beach House. My sister gave me Devotion for my birthday so the music is a little closer to my heart than it normally would be. Beach House strikes me as a more mellow Celebration; there are just so many similarities. After that we saw the reason most people came out early. Islands took the Surf Ave stage and put on a hell of a show. Nick came on underneath the Dodos’ dented trashcan and performed the entire first song from within its metal walls; I know I saw Tim Harrington do this once. Im pretty sure the song was Creeper. We also heard The Arm which sounded great live and of course Whalebone which is such a crowd pleaser, no Subtitle but there was an awesome rapper from Queens Deathspot I want to say his name was. So much kinetic energy with that band. I was really tempted to stay at Islands for the full hour but I wanted to bop over to the other stage and see what Broken Social Scene. As it was, the pit was pretty slammed by the time I got there, so I opted to just watch from side stage. It was a great vantage though, and they played a whole bunch of people pleasers from their self-titled expression. 7/4 was good, they got some girl they just met to come onstage and sing Feists part, which the audience loved. I enjoyed hearing Fire Eyed Boy but right around that time I opted to take a phone call and ended up getting shut out by security. That time of the night I guess. I watched the rest of the set from beside a kiosk selling sunscreen and Kanye glasses, catching glimpses of the band from between the heads of departing beach bathers. It was the perfect end to the Coney Island festival, Siren.
