Governors Ball 2015: Our Recap Of The NYC Music Festival

Bianca Gracie | June 8, 2015 8:29 am
Idolator Poll: Song Of The Summer 2015
Vote for the song you think will be the most played this summer!

And…that’s a wrap folks — and what a musical joyride it was! Governors Ball 2015 took place over the weekend (from June 5-7) at New York City’s Randall’s Island. The annual festival brought in an eclectic mix of artists, both uber-popular and upcoming, as well as a diverse crowd from all over the country.

Sure, there were incredibly long lines, a huge and anxiety-inducing crowd and a shocking display of various body parts — but isn’t that part of the festival’s charm? Read on to see our highlights from this year’s Governors Ball!

DAY 1 — JUNE 5

Friday was definitely the most exciting (and the most packed) day on Randall’s Island. Rae Sremmurd kicked off the music festival with their 1:15 p.m. set. Yet what was supposed to be a #LIT performance turned out to be a bloody one! During the rap duo’s “Unlock The Swag,” Slim Jimmy attempted to jump off a speaker and ended up slicing his thigh open on a piece of glass from a spotlight. The rapper is now recovering, but they should be cautious on how much swag they decide to unlock for their next concert!

Another highlight from the day was Chromeo’s disco-tinged set that had everyone on the main stage field dancing. Bringing out Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig for “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” wasn’t too shabby of a move either!

Girl power ran throughout Governors Ball, which was especially clear on Friday. From Florence + The Machine’s enchanting set to Charli XCX’s no-phucks-given attitude and St. Vincent’s electrifying performance, the ladies rocked the festival grounds like no other.

DAY 2 — JUNE 6

Saturday brought in some of Idolator’s favorite pop acts of the moment: Marina And The Diamonds, Clean Bandit and Kiesza. Clean Bandit’s musical partner-in-crime Jess Glynne was not in attendance, but Glee’s Alex Newell taking her place for the ubiquitous “Rather Be” was a very satisfying moment.

Our editor Carl Williott caught Little Dragon’s set on Saturday, and has this to say: “[It was] way more of a dance party than I expected. They were a good festival act, and played much bigger than their little weird electro pop reputation would suggest.”

DAY 3 — JUNE 7

The final round of Governors Ball proved to be the most relaxed, as a majority of the crowd was winding down from the past two days. It may have been the lingering smell of poop in the air or the inescapable presence of drunk high schoolers, but the energy was not as high as expected.

The vibe throughout the day was quite mellow, with the UK’s Royal Blood performing their cool rock tunes, Australia’s own Tame Impala soothing the crowd with their psychedelic charm and Hot Chip throwing the most chilled dance party. But the main jolt of energy came from none other than “Weird Al” Yankovic, who had the Gotham Tent’s audience in a frenzy as he performed his wild parody songs.

Wrapping up the night were The Black Keys and Lana Del Rey, who were billed at the same 9:15 p.m. time slot. Unfortunately, the Coney Island Queen’s audio vox was too low for the crowd to hear and the Ohio rockers’ sound overpowered her with full force.

[Main Photo Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images]

Did you attend this year’s Governors Ball? Share with us your favorite highlights in the comments below!