July 8, 2014
Ever since Coney Island got made over, pushing out the freaks and Village Voice’s Siren Music Festival (QRO recap of its final year), the biggest independent daily in the country has relocated to a much closer seashore, South Street Seaport (QRO venue review), for the free 4Knots Festival. It comes this Saturday, July 12th, right on the East River:
| Dinosaur Jr., 7:00 PM, Pier 16 Stage Back & better than ever is Dinosaur Jr. (QRO photos at a festival)! In the late eighties and early nineties, one of the biggest & best bands in the punk-grunge revolution was Dinosaur Jr. (QRO live review), combining a hippie-punk ethos (and artwork) with feedback-driven guitar from the legendary J Mascis (QRO solo album review). The trio (QRO live review) was also characterized by Mascis’ controlling tendencies, leading to the departure first of bassist Lou Barlow (QRO solo album review) for his Sebadoh (QRO live review) and eventually even beloved drummer Murph (QRO photos at a festival without Murph), with Mascis retiring the ‘Dinosaur Jr.’ moniker in 1997. But then the band reunited (QRO live review outdoors) – with original line-up! – to tour their re-release of old, Barlow-era records (QRO photos at a festival in St. LOUis). And they kept going (QRO photos at a festival), putting out three new records that are some of their best yet, Beyond (QRO review), Farm (QRO review), and I Bet On Sky (QRO review) – with more to come (QRO live review playing new material). So revel in the glory (QRO photos at a festival) that is Dinosaur Jr. (QRO photos), who know how to play festivals (QRO photos at a festival) – but bring your earplugs, because J’s ‘circle of amps’ is a force to be reckoned with (QRO photos at a festival). |
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| Mac DeMarco, 5:30 PM, Pier 16 Stage 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). |
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| Those Darlins, 4:30 PM, Pier 16 Stage Tennessee Appalachian trio Those Darlins (QRO photos at a festival) have managed to get serious attention in the indiesphere, thanks to connections like producer Jeff Curtin (QRO interview – of Small Black, and also producer of Vampire Weekend – QRO live review), or ukulele-ist Nikki Darlin (QRO interview) failed engagement to Deer Tick singer/guitarist John McCauley (he even popped the question while Darlin was guest-spotting on stage with Deer Tick – QRO photos). But the lovely ladies’ (QRO photos) backwoods sound can more than hold its own (QRO spotlight on), like on last year’s Blur the Line. |
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| Nude Beach, 4:00 PM, Front/Row Stage Nude Beach (QRO live review) smashed into the Brooklyn scene two years ago with II (QRO review), and looks ready to smash South Street Seaport. |
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| Viet Cong, 3:30 PM, Pier 16 Stage Containing half of Calgary’s defunct Women (QRO photos at a festival), Viet Cong (QRO photos at a Canadian festival) bring a “labyrinthine post-punk” to 4Knots. |
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| Juan Wauters, 3:00 PM, Front/Row Stage The singer of Queens’ garage-folk The Beets (QRO photos at a festival), Juan Wauters (QRO photos at a festival) comes to 4Knots behind his solo debut, N.A.P. North American Poetry. |
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| Speedy Ortiz, 2:30 PM, Pier 16 Stage There’s tons of buzz around Brooklyn’s new Speedy Ortiz (QRO photos at a festival) – so of course they’re playing 4Knots. |
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| Also: Crazy Pills, 2:00 PM, Front/Row Stage Radkey, 1:30 PM, Pier 16 Stage Dead Stars, 1:00 PM, Front/Row Stage |
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For festival website, go here: http://microapp.villagevoice.com/4knots/2014/
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