Last weekend Northside Festival graced us with its chaotic presence. In its fifth year, it included music, film, art, and entrepreneurial talks. It opened its arms, its bars, its venues, and our ears, as we ran to as many shows as possible. Northside Festival’s music portion only lasted four days but included over 350+ artists who performed all over Williamsburg and Greenpoint. That’s too little time and too many bands – but that’s the thrill of it! We avoided some of the festival’s main draws (The Walkmen, Solange, Weekend, Yellow Ostrich) in favor of smaller rockers pushing the envelope in their close-knit scenes. In case you missed out or want to reminisce, we’ve selected our top shows and artists that performed at this year’s festival, plus a handy Spotify Playlist for you to listen to, featuring the likes of The Soft Moon, The Luyas, Merchandise, Ava Luna, Hot Sugar, and more!
THURSDAY: Twin Sister, Ava Luna, The Luyas, Lushlife, Julian Lynch @ 285 Kent
I began and ended my Northside Festival with 285 Kent. A favorite venue for many, they put on a great show every night of the weekend. I arrived just in time to see The Luyas get onstage. The French-Canadian band immediately yelled who they were and that we wouldn’t forget it – they were right. The eccentric, hypnotic, multi-instrumental pop band gave a quirky performance accompanied by Jessie Stein’s sweet, melodic vocals. After their wild performance, Brooklyn favorites Ava Luna took the stage. The soulful, indie pop group delivered in an energetic and whimsical manner that resulted in jolts and waves from the audience. If you haven’t heard of them, listen up – their sophisticated R&B is worth seeking out. Lastly, though they were missing some members, Twin Sister (who we recently caught in Bushwick) closed the night with soothing, ethereal electronic pop.
