Nestled between the iconic structures of San Fransisco and the humble hills of the East Bay, Treasure Island is home to one of the most diverse music concerts to hit Northern California. On October 17th and 18th families and festival goers of all ages and ethnicities flocked to Treasure Islands grassy venue to partake in the loving world of electrifying music and Art. After being treated by an outstanding creative staff placed in a distinct location ,Treasure Island is easily one of my favorite festivals of the year. I Suggest taking the bus from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium that will shuttle you over to the island for free!! The island is not practical for festival parking so traffic getting off the island is a nightmare!! Arriving on the island you get this eerie feeling while driving through a desolate town. Being that the island was once occupied by the US Navy many houses were built to station troops. Entering the fest you are expressively embraced by the loving vibes this beautiful music festival has to offer. There are many tents around the front of the festival that have intense visionary artwork that brings out the culture and radical expression this festival offers. There are also many arts and craft hands on stations that provide guest with ways to bring their own artistic expressions to life!
Put on by Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment, Treasure Island’s lineup is stacked with top artists that mostly fall in the genres of electronic, rap, and rock. By offering a wide range of music festival goers are able to explore a variety of sets throughout the day, allowing attendees to experiment with new vibes at each stage. With two stages the schedule is set up so performances are staggered allowing attendees to listen to every performer. Stages are set up fairly close to each other so walking back and forth is easy. Some top names this year included Deadmau5, The War on Drugs, CHVRCHES & STS9. The festival is set up with electronic sets performing on Saturday and rock performers on Sunday giving people a choice of music and vibes. The main stage, or bridge stage, is located in the back of the venue and the second stage, or tunnel stage, is located near the middle of the fest with just enough space between them to make it easy to walk back and forth. The tunnel stage is set with the most exquisite backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and the skyline of San Francisco. Make sure and stop by to see the artist playing during the spectaclar sunset that graces this unique island.
Photo by: Debra A. Zeller Photography
Saturday featured the acts of STS9 and Deadmau5 that got the party started right, bringing everyone to their feet dancing and moving. STS9 proved that they are a great electronic band that can play during the day without intense visuals and still put on a great crowed pleasing show! Of course Deadmau5 put on a show to remember, Gifting the bay area with his intense analog deep house vibes that are sure to make everyone feel good. A new group on the scene, Big Grams, took the stage with uprising talent. Big Grams, consisting of Big Boy and the band Phantogram, proved that rock and rap can collide in an experiment of joyous sound and thoughtful lyrics.
Sunday carried on with some top notch rock acts that included the War on drugs and the rock band National. The War on Drugs kept the island jumping with their upbeat sound and kept the energy in full force until the very end of the act. Matt Berninger of the National introduced Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches to the stage and then proceeded to duet on Trouble Will Find Me track “I Need My Girl”.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AqD4WGvdYY
You could feel the change in vibe and mood that the new music brought to the scene of the festival from Saturday to Sunday. By having rock music scheduled for Sunday, the island recovers from Saturdays activities by keeping attendees going with some fast pace guitar solos! With all of this great music offered it’s easy to loose yourself at one of the stages and not adventure around to see what the rest of the fest has to offer.
Make sure to mosey on over to the Silent disco in-between sets to catch some groovy Dj’s as they spin for you silently! If you have never experienced a silent disco before you are in for a special auditory treat that may change the way you see and interact with music.
Treasure Island also offers a wide variety of vegetarian and ethnic food from around the world that are sure to keep your tummy happy throughout the day! Some of these delectable dishes include Abura-Ya, a Chinese fried chicken tasty treat or make a quick grab-n-go pit stop for a mouthwatering empanada. While feasting on your delicious Island meal feel free to walk around and glance at the art and attractions that are placed throughout the fest making it effortless to keep your mind busy and entertained.
As the show comes to a close, crowds begin to form while moving towards the shuttles back to the city. Leaving a song or two early after the last set may be a smart decision if you want to get back for some of the thrilling late night after parties. If going to sleep doesn’t sound appealing to you after enjoying the high energy day on the island then there are plenty of dj’s set up with after hours parties to keep the night rolling! This year Madlib, James Blake and airhead were among some of the sets that played deep into the hours of the night.
Once again I highly recommend that you take the free shuttle with purchase of any festival ticket to and from treasure island. Save yourself the headache and $100.00 it would cost to take an Uber across the bridge in peak hours. With gates opening at 11:00am this is not an event to dilly dally to in the afternoon. Arrive early and enjoy all the wonderful aspects this festival in the middle of the ocean has to offer and please LEAVE NO TRACE!!
Written By FestPop Staff Writer: Tyler Zinn