By Rya Backer
I'd long resisted the idea of attending the Village Voice celebration of all things indie music, the Siren Festival, because of an adage many of my fellow New Yorkers are familiar with: location, location, location. This year, however, I finally took on the hour-long subway trek to Coney Island for a(n extremely hot) day of great music, great people and Nathan's Famous hot dogs.
The men and women who came to Coney Island expressly for Siren sported an almost uniform look of ironic (read: regrettable?) tattoos, multicolored Wayfarer knockoffs, Keds, rompers (for the ladies) and long, tight pants (not for the faint of heart). But the event was for everyone; the music from either stage could be heard from the boardwalk, and both concertgoers and curious weekenders were able to see such acts as Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Broken Social Scene, Islands, the Helio Sequence, Ra Ra Riot, and the Dodos gratis.
(Check out live footage of BSS after the jump.)
Coney Island offers, among other things, carnival and amusement-park rides, arcade games, a magical outdoor bar called Beer Island and a very healthy dose of kitsch — all of which made for a near-perfect festival setting. However, with the expected demolition of Astroland, the area where Siren is staged, next year, the day's 900-pound gorilla wasn't so much whether Malkmus would play any Pavement tunes, but rather, if this year would be Siren's swan song.
But let's not talk about such sad stuff — let's talk about this guy (points to self). As the PA for the day's shoot, my perks included talking to bands I really like, watching the bands' members jovially interact in the natural habitat that was the backstage tent, dancing by myself while watching the bands from a dreamy proximity and having my shirt touched by Janet Weiss, former drummer for Sleater-Kinney/ current drummer for the Jicks/ model woman. Oh, and there was free beer.
Ra Ra Riot were the first band we spoke with. They're a group of friends who met at Syracuse University and play poppy music with a violin and cello. Their new album The Rhumb Line hits outlets August 19.
Then we spoke with Nick and Alex of Islands. Their latest album, Arm's Way, is out now, and it features the really fun song "The Arm" and funner album art. Nick made like a good host and offered us beverages before our interview. Though we declined, his decorum didn't go unnoticed!
The Dodos were one of my favorite live acts of the day (hearing "Jodi" live was the aural equivalent of sliding down a rainbow while eating pizza — pure bliss) and a rather funny trio (yes, they're a trio now). I especially appreciated Logan and Meric's passion for "Project Runway."
Lastly, there was Canadian supercollective Broken Social Scene. We had about three minutes to both set up for and interview Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, the group's most consistent members, before the day's testosterone-heavy incarnation of the group hit the stage. The pair graciously answered some questions, and any stress caused by the time crunch was quickly done away with during their helluva set.
So I ate my first corn dog, I rocked out a bit, and I've yet to wash my shirt ... I can't wait to do it all over again in 363 days.
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