Festival veterans The Black Keys know by this point exactly what a crowd of thousands wants to hear and they gave it to us yesterday closing out the final day at Governors Ball music festival. Performing a lot of material from El Camino and Brothers, they plowed right through favorites like “Howlin For You,” “She’s Long Gone,” “Gold On The Ceiling,” and “Lonely Boy.” With such a breadth of material, The Black Keys like to forego on all the talking and get through as many songs as fans want to hear. Lead singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach covered the whole stage, even crouching on the very edge. Drummer Patrick Carney was as energetic as always.
Just before, over on the Big Apple Stage, UK electro pop favourites Hot Chip put on a high energy set as the finished setting mixing old favourites like “Over and Over,” “I Feel Better,” and “One Life Stand” with new cuts “Cry For You” and “Need You Now” from this years stellar new album Huaraches Lights. We had a good long dance, and by the end, Alexis Taylor proclaimed this was “one of the best crowds [they’ve] ever played for.”
We got to say we heard Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds do “Champagne Supernova” as the sun starting to go down on the island. Just before that, on the Gov Ball NYC stage, aussie psych rockers Tame Impala closed off their tour with extra emphasis for a crowd so into it, we had to fight our way over a sea of weed smoking blanket dwellers to make it into the photo pit. It was chill times.
The Sierota siblings in Echosmith were all smiles on the main stage with their uplifting tunes. UK rock duo Royal Blood destroyed the Big Apple stage, drawing a massive crowd. We also spotted Arctic Monkeys lead singer Alex Turner enjoying their set. Let’s hope this means a US tour for both bands!
Philly natives War On Drugs gave us a bit of classic indie rock on the Big Apple stage. Australian electronic duo Hermitude played their first NYC festival on the Gotham tent and had people tripping over themselves to get to their set in time.
Flip through our photos below now.
The Black Keys | Gov Ball NYC Stage
Hot Chip | Big Apple Stage
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds | Gov Ball NYC Stage
Tame Impala | Gov Ball NYC Stage
Echosmith | Gov Ball NYC Stage
War On Drugs | Big Apple Stage
Royal Blood | Big Apple Stage
Hermitude | Gotham Tent
Photos by Christina Ventura & Hawley Dunbar.