Treasure Island Festival 2016 Preview

Off the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge lies Treasure Island, an artificial island that has served as everything from a naval base to film studio lot, and more. And celebrating its tenth anniversary there is the Treasure Island Music Festival, Saturday & Sunday, October 15th & 16th:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15th

Ice Cube, Bridge Stage, 9:25 PM – 10:55 PM Ice Cube (QRO photos at a festival) is one of the most significant figures in rap. He was one of the core members of the seminal N.W.A., whose life story just came to the silver screen in Straight Outta Compton. While Cube has done much more since then, including a solo career and many acting gigs, he comes to headline Treasure Island working on his next album, Everythangs Corrupt.

Duke Dumont, Tunnel Stage, 8:35 PM – 9:20 PM English DJ & remixer Duke Dumont comes to Treasure Island.

ZHU, Bridge Stage, 7:45 PM – 8:35 PM Electronic producer/musician Steve Zhu managed to stay anonymous until two years ago, but has blown up as ZHU. He comes after this year’s release of his debut album, Generationwhy.

Flight Facilities, Tunnel Stage, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM Australian disco-house duo Flight Facilities have remixed everyone from Kylie Minogue to Reggie (not Naomi) Watts.

Glass Animals, Bridge Stage, 6:10 PM – 7:00 PM Out of Oxford and discovered by Adele’s producer, Glass Animals (QRO photos) bring their more mixed indie (QRO photos outdoors) on this year’s sophomore release How To Be a Human Being to Treasure Island.

How To Dress Well, Tunnel Stage, 5:25 PM – 6:05 PM Experimental pop artist Tom Krell (QRO interview) comes to Treasure Island as How To Dress Well (QRO photos), with new album Care.

Young Thug, Bridge Stage, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Atlanta’s Young Thug gained major recognition in 2014 with hit singles “About the Money” and “Lifestyle”. This year has seen mixtapes I’m Up and Slime Season 3 in the run-up to the anticipated debut studio album, Hy!£UN35.

Also: The Polish Ambassador, Tunnel Stage, 3:50 PM – 4:30 PM Mura Masa, Bridge Stage, 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM HONNE, Bridge Stage, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM – QRO photos Sofi Tukker, Tunnel Stage, 2:15 PM – 2:55 PM Kamaiyah, Tunnel Stage, 12:45 PM – 1:25 PM – QRO photos Worthy, Bridge Stage, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th

Sigur Rós, Bridge Stage, 9:20 PM – 10:35 PM Hands down, Sigur Rós (QRO live review) is one of the best bands to come out of the ‘90s. Few acts have emerged from that decade and been able to maintain even a career, let alone the longevity with grace and style that has been demonstrated by these boys from Iceland (QRO photos from literally the other side of the globe from Iceland). Maybe that’s the big secret: they aren’t from America (QRO photos at a non-American festival). Their music is the definition of beauty and 2012’s album Valtari (QRO review) was absolutely no exception. It was their first in four years, after people thought that the band was finished, the next year they had their follow-up, Kveikur (QRO review). With their share of some of the best and most affecting music of their time, and a live show fuelled by a newfound vigor, Sigur Rós (QRO photos outdoors) is set to deliver one of the best performances of the festival.

Purity Ring, Tunnel Stage, 8:30 PM – 9:15 PM From north of that ‘other’ border, Montreal’s Purity Ring (QRO photos) bring some of the new indie-electronic (QRO live review).

James Blake, Bridge Stage, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM People seemed to start talking about ‘post-dubstep’ before dubstep was even a thing, in the form of highly hyped Brit James Blake (QRO live review). But the former singer of Mount Kimbie (QRO photos at a festival) made massive waves with his self-titled debut (QRO review), so see for yourself what all the fuss is/was about (QRO photos at a big venue) as he returns to Treasure Island.

Sylvan Esso, Tunnel Stage, 6:40 PM – 7:25 PM Durham, North Carolina indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso (QRO photos outdoors) have moved up very fast since the release in 2014 of their eponymous debut full-length.

Tycho, Bridge Stage, 5:50 PM – 6:40 PM Ambient electronics come back to Treasure Island in the form of Scott Hansen (QRO photos at a festival), a.k.a. Tycho (QRO photos), who is touring (QRO photos from earlier this year) off of this year’s acclaimed Epoch, his follow-up to 2014’s Awake (QRO review).

Neon Indian, Tunnel Stage, 5:05 PM – 5:45 PM Alan Palomo worked solo as VEGA (QRO photos at a festival) and recruited a live band as Neon Indian (QRO photos at the same festival), where he’s far stronger (QRO photos with his band), especially outdoors (QRO photos outdoors with band) & at a festival (QRO photos at a festival with band). He comes to Treasure Island (QRO photos at a festival) after last year’s release of VEGA INTL. Night School, his latest since 2011’s Era Extraña, and after touring colleges (QRO live review), museums (QRO photos), Down Under (QRO live review), and more (QRO photos).

Mac DeMarco, Bridge Stage, 4:15 PM – 5:05 PM Some artists toil in obscurity for years, even decades, but Mac DeMarco (QRO photos at a festival) is only just old enough to drink, and already has his debut full-length, Mac DeMarco 2, and reputation for wild live shows (QRO photos at a festival) that appropriately brings him to Treasure Island (QRO photos at a festival).

Deafheaven, Tunnel Stage, 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM Deafheaven (QRO photos at a festival) expand on the black metal sound with elements of post-metal and even shoegaze.

Christine & The Queens, Bridge Stage, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM France’s Héloïse Letissier has been wowing the world as Christine & The Queens (QRO photos), with a stage show mixing music, art, dancing, and more (QRO photos) that recently wowed The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah.

Car Seat Headrest, Tunnel Stage, 2:00 PM – 2:40 PM After a series of solo, self-released Bandcamp records (named literally 1, 2, 3, 4 and more), Will Toledo’s Car Seat Headrest (QRO photos at a festival) graduated to a full band & Matador signing for last year’s Teens of Style and this year’s Teens of Denial.

Wild Nothing, Bridge Stage, 1:20 PM – 2:00 PM Sun-soaked, fuzzy, dream pop that should go well with a sun-soaked festival. Wild Nothing (QRO live review) is Jack Tatum’s wonderful solo project (QRO live review), and with Nocturne (QRO review) and this year’s Life of Pause (QRO review), the follow-up to his wonderful first album Gemini (QRO review), there’s sure to be plenty of new music afoot (QRO photos at a festival).

Also: HINDS, Tunnel Stage, 12:40 PM – 1:20 PM – QRO photos at a festival Day Wave, Bridge Stage, 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM