Treasure Island 2015 Preview

Treasure Island, the artificial island off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, has since 2007 held an awesome music festival, with a Saturday of electronic and a Sunday of indie-rock,...
Treasure Island

Treasure Island 2015 Preview

Treasure Island, the artificial island off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, has since 2007 held an awesome music festival, with a Saturday of electronic and a Sunday of indie-rock, October 17th & 18th:

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th

deadmau5, Bridge Stage, 9:25 PM – 10:55 PM

Niagara Falls’ deadmau5 (QRO live review) is still most recognizable for his trademark headgear & light show (QRO photos at a festival). While his remix of Morgan Page’s “The Longest Road”, featuring Lissie (QRO spotlight on), lost out in the Grammy for ‘Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical’ to David Guetta (QRO album review), the progressive house artist (don’t dare call him a ‘DJ’…) has blown up (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last year’s while(1<2). He returns to Treasure Island for a second time.
deadmau5
Big Grams, Tunnel Stage, 8:35 PM – 9:20 PM

Big Boi (QRO photos at a festival) + Phantogram (QRO album review – who play Treasure Island for a third time – QRO photos at Treasure ‘10) = Big Grams.
Big Grams
FKA Twigs, Bridge Stage, 7:45 PM – 8:35 PM

Tahliah Barnett (QRO photos) has pulled off the rare feat of moving from dancer to musician (QRO photos at a festival), as in-demand FKA Twigs (QRO photos at a festival), with a killer live show (QRO live review).
FKA Twigs
Hudson Mohawke, Tunnel Stage, 7:00 PM – 7:40 PM

Glasgow’s turntablist Ross Birchard, a.k.a. Hudson Mohawke, managed to get signed to acclaimed U.K. electronic imprint Warp despite few actual releases, but delivered in 2009’s Butler and a few EPs before also getting signed to Kanye West’s own GOOD Music after working some collaborations with West.
Hudson Mohawke
STS9, Bridge Stage, 6:10 PM – 7:00 PM

The acclaimed instrumental act combines numerous influences, including funk, jazz, psychedelic, and hip-hop. But they’re best known for their live concerts (QRO photos), which stretch to over two hours, and feature improvisational collaborative work not known in the jam-band community. Their festival performances, however, go even bigger (QRO photos at a festival).
STS9
Cashmere Cat, Tunnel Stage, 5:25 PM – 6:05 PM

From cold Norway to hot California comes Magnus August Høiberg, a.k.a. Cashmere Cat.
Cashmere Cat
Run the Jewels, Bridge Stage, 4:35 PM – 5:25 PM

El-P blew up the Brooklyn rap scene with 2013’s Cancer 4 Cure (QRO review of release party), and brought about his team-up with Killer Mike (QRO photos at a festival) for 2012’s ‘Into the Wild’ tour. Mike & P have deepened that connection (QRO photos at a festival), working together as Run the Jewels (QRO photos at a festival) for two critically acclaimed records, most recently last year’s Run the Jewels 2, with word of 3 already in the works.
Run the Jewels
Also:

Shamir, Tunnel Stage, 3:50 PM – 4:30 PM

Gorgon City, Bridge Stage, 3:00 PM – 3:50 PMQRO photos at a festival

Baio, Tunnel Stage, 2:15 PM – 2:55 PM

Viceroy, Bridge Stage, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Bob Moses, Tunnel Stage, 12:45 PM – 1:25 PM

Skylar Spence, Bridge Stage, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Gorgon City

The Blah Blah Blah

Tim Heidecker, Jonah Ray, Jermaine Fowler, 6:40 PM – 7:45 PM

Tim Heidecker, John Dore, Barry Rothbart, Max Silvestri, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM

Jonah Ray, Jon Dore, Max Silvestri, Barry Rothbart, 3:25 PM – 4:30 PM

Hey™: An Afternoon with Kate Berlant and John Early, 1:55 PM – 2:55 PM
Tim Heidecker

 

 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18th

The National, Bridge Stage, 9:20 PM – 10:35 PM

Cincinnati-by-way-of-Brooklyn’s The National (QRO photos outdoors) hit it big in 2007 with Boxer (QRO review) and tracks like “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers”, and “Apartment Story” (QRO video) – and again in 2008 with the Virginia EP (QRO review), but that just presaged 2011’s High Violet (QRO review), which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts (QRO expanded edition review). An impressive and much-in-demand act (QRO live review), they’re fitting in nicely as even festival headliner (QRO photos headlining a festival) or curator (QRO photos curating a festival), like at London’s All Tomorrow’s Parties in 2012 (QRO photos) or Boston Calling the last three years (QRO photos at Boston Calling), or this year’s new Eaux Claires (QRO photos). Blown up to the point that New York Times Magazine ran a feature on them (QRO spotlight on) & Obama used (a family-friendly) bit of “Mr. November” (QRO video at a festival) as a campaign song, The National (QRO photos at a festival) returned from an hiatus in 2013 to take North America by storm (QRO photos headlining a festival) behind Trouble Will Find Me (QRO review), after having done so in Europe (QRO photos in Europe), the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), the European festival circuit (QRO photos at a European festival), Canada (QRO photos at a festival in Canada), Spain (QRO photos at a Spanish festival), Croatia (QRO photos at a Croatian festival), Singapore (QRO photos in Singapore) & their own Brooklyn (QRO photos in Brooklyn). They look to keep it going (QRO photos in 2014), coming to San Francisco to headline Treasure Island (QRO photos at headlining a festival). They play Treasure Island for a second time (QRO photos at Treasure Island ’10).
The National
Panda Bear, Tunnel Stage, 8:30 PM – 9:15 PM

One of the founding members of Baltimore’s ultra-relevant experimental electronic outfit Animal Collective (QRO live review), Noah Lennox – a.k.a. Panda Bear (QRO photos at a festival) – broke out of the zoo and is now on his own (QRO photos at a festival), with 2011’s Tomboy (QRO review), the follow-up to 2007’s Person Pitch (QRO review). He comes to Treasure Island after contributing to Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories (QRO review), playing off his own new Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper.
Panda Bear
CHVRCHES, Bridge Stage, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast (QRO photos at a festival), before & after the release of debut full-length The Bones of What You Believe (QRO review) – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival) and some giant lights (QRO photos at a festival).
CHVRCHES
Deerhunter, Tunnel Stage, 6:40 PM – 7:25 PM

No one was more prolific in 2008 than Deerhunter’s singer/guitarist Bradford Cox (QRO live review), who not only put out the well-received Microcastle (QRO review), but also included a second disc of all-original bonus material, Weird Era Cont. (QRO review) – and oh, yeah, released a solo record (as Atlas Sound – QRO live review), Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (QRO review) that beat ‘em both. And, after a hiatus & Atlas Sound’s Logos (QRO review), 2011 saw Deerhunter (QRO photos outdoors) reach even higher thanks to Halcyon Digest (QRO review) – and in 2013 they followed it up with Monomania (QRO review), a more garage-rock record – and show (QRO photos at a festival), including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). Known for electric shows whether as the Sound (QRO live review) or with Deerhunter (QRO live review outdoors), Cox & Deerhunter (QRO photos outdoors) have been as prolific with the festivals (QRO photos at a festival). They play Treasure Island right after the Friday release of Fading Frontier.
Deerhunter
The War On Drugs, Bridge Stage, 5:50 PM – 6:40 PM

Claimed to be “Best New Music” by Pitchfork for their 2011 album, Slave Ambient, The War On Drugs are often known for the jauntily confections of atmospheric guitars and rolling drums (QRO live review). The Philly outfit (QRO photos) later saw member Kurt Vile spin-off for his own successful career (QRO live review), and followed up Slave with last year’s Lost In the Dream (QRO mp3 review). They play Treasure Island for a second time.
The War On Drugs
Drive Like Jehu, Tunnel Stage, 5:05 PM – 5:45 PM

San Diego post-hardcore act Drive Like Jehu established a cult following, but broke up too soon, so thankfully they reunited last year.
Drive Like Jehu
Father John Misty, Bridge Stage, 4:15 PM – 5:05 PM

While a member of overrated folk outfit Fleet Foxes (QRO album review), guitarist Joshua Tillman found time to do his own solo stuff (QRO album review), but in 2012 he moved to solo full-time as Father John Misty (QRO photos) with Fear Fun, and he comes to Treasure Island (QRO photos at a festival) behind follow-up I Love You, Honeybear.
Father John Misty
Lower Dens, Tunnel Stage, 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM

Slowly but surely little ol’ Baltimore is getting a rep in indie-circles – and alt-rockers Lower Dens (QRO photos at a festival) is one of the reasons why (QRO live review).
Lower Dens
José González, Bridge Stage, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

The Argentine-Swedish José González (QRO photos at a festival) crafts exquisite, intimate material, both solo like with this year’s Vestiges and Claws (QRO review) and in his group Junip (QRO album review).
José González
Ex Hex, Tunnel Stage, 2:00 PM – 2:40 PM

Indie-punk outfit Ex Hex comes to Treasure Island after last year’s debut release, Rips.
Ex Hex
Mikal Cronin, Bridge Stage, 1:20 PM – 2:00 PM

Alt-garage utility player Mikal Cronin (QRO photos at a festival) has emerged as a force in his own right (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last spring’s MCIII.
Mikal Cronin
Viet Cong, Tunnel Stage, 12:40 PM – 1:20 PM

Containing half of Calgary’s defunct Women (QRO photos at a festival), the band formerly known as Viet Cong (QRO photos at a festival) bring a “labyrinthine post-punk” to Treasure Island.



Also:

Ought, Bridge Stage, 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM

Viet Cong

The Blah Blah Blah

Jerrod Carmichael, Chris Gethard, Michelle Wolf, Guy Branum, 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM

Talk Show: The Game Show with Guy Branum & special guests, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM

With special guest Lauren Lapkus featuring Kate Berlant & John Early, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM

Jerrod Carmichael, Chris Gethard, Michelle Wolf, Jermaine Fowler, 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

Throwing Shade Podcast Live!, 12:20 PM – 1:15 PM
Jerrod Carmichael

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://treasureislandfestival.com/2015/

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