Northside Festival (Day 2) - Recap: Things get better!

Northside Festival | Day 2 | June 12, 2009



So after yesterday's cancellation of Crime Novels and the debacle at the DIY space, Shea Stadium, I probably didn't have the highest hopes for the second day of the Northside Festival. However, when I showed up to Union Pool for the Panache showcase, I realized today was going to be different.

SCREENS:


SCREENS started off the evening (and right on time) and played a enjoyable, albeit brief, set. Following SCREENS, Brooklyn mainstays Aa (Big A Little a) took the stage after a quick setup. I hadn't seen the band in a while, and if memory serves me correctly, they used to have more than three members. I got to give a general thumbs up to what I saw of the Panache showcase.

Aa (Big A Little a):


Though I could've stayed at Union Pool all evening (Sightings, Golden Triangle, and Pterodactyl were all scheduled to play), I decided to head over to Death by Audio instead to check out a band I have heard a lot of hype about but not actually heard, Real Estate. By the time I got there, they weren't letting anymore badges in, but after running into a friend, I quickly found a way into the venue.

Real Estate:


I'll be honest; I don't get the hype. The venue was packed to the gills for this band that just sort of seems generic, uninspired, and boring. At this point, I was really wishing I had stayed at Union Pool longer.

Javelin:


Fortunately, Javelin started to turn things around. I saw these fun, dancey duo open for Ear Pwr at Cake Shop a couple weeks ago. Even if you hate them, at their the boomboxes surrounding them during their set are fun to look at.

These Are Powers:


Finally, These Are Powers took to the stage after premiering their new video. If Javelin didn't get someone's feet moving, These Are Powers sure did. I also appreciated their punk rock attitude of keeping the set kind of short. It was a long evening, and by the time they finished, I was ready to head home. With the only dud of the night and no major difficulties, Northside Festival's second night shows the promise of what I expected from the fest in the first place!