- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Treasure Island Music Festival
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- Yes
76 reviews for Treasure Island Music Festival
A nice "mini-festival". I like that the music doesn't tend to overlap.
The ferris wheel was cool (though the wait was looooog). The food selection was pretty good as well. The weather the first day was great and the second day was absolutely miserable. I had planned ahead and was bundled up, but by the end I was cuddling in the sheet I had brought to sit on.
Also, on the second day, the staff was really cracking down on outside beer. I saw 2 different groups get busted. I was trying to warn the second group right as security was making his way over. :(
Also, getting off the island takes for freaking ever. Just a warning. There are tricks you can employ to get off quicker, but I am not going to share them so as to keep them quick. ;)
Overall, pretty fun. If there are bands here I want to see, I will definitely try to make it over.
This was my 3rd year at the festival! Whoo Hooo! I have to say, for a smaller, in town festival, by my estimates TIMF really is as good as it gets!
In 2007 and 2008 I went both days, but this year, I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the cash. Your best bet is to get your 2 day pass well in advance of the event for the best deal. The 1 day pass for Sunday, 2009, was $65. That doesn't include the Ticketmaster charge- but you can go to The Independent over on Division and save yourself the service fee by purchasing there.
It's a great way to catch a bunch of good bands all rolled into one. It's not a cozy club experience, but the performers bring a lot of energy, as they are hoping to reach so many new people. There are also fun little side-shows going on that make if fun if you need a break from the music.
They sort of have it set up so one day is more on the electronic side and one day is more Indie-Rocker-ish. The bummer is that on Sunday the headlining band plays last, and I didn't get home until 11:30 at night, since I stuck around to see the Flaming Lips!
The bummer for East Bay people is you must drive to SF to catch the shuttles from AT&T parking lot area. But It's not too big of a deal. The shuttles are comfortable, clean, and efficient. This year there were no silly videos, I sort of missed them. It's fun to get alll cozy with your uber-hip and very young crowd of show goers before the event begins.
This year in fashion it was all about the blanket. Blankets wrapped over your shoulders and maybe pulling in another human to complete this cozy and very hot look!
The worst part of the show this year, and as has been the case in the past, is that you are out on an island in the middle of the Bay- and it's like a Windy Tundra! There are not a lot of wind blocks, so it can be super windy and sometimes that can mess with the sound a little bit- but it seemed to me like the acoustics were actually better this year even with the wind, so props to all of the sound guys who pulled this off!
Concessions on the island are pretty good but I usually bring major snack-age with me. It seems like they have varying standards for letting people bring beverages onto the Island. Security does check your bags, but I brought in a bag with a water bottle in it, while others were made to dump it. I guess I don't look suspect and it wasn't Gin, that's for sure.
ASQW was there (ribs sucked!!), the hippie coffee stand is there (they need like 6 of them for cold days!!! More coffee vendors!!), churros, hot dogs,Teriyaki chicken skewers abounded, Italian Sausage with peppers, (even though condiments were all but gone by the time I ordered mine) Pizza, Burritos, and for drinking they had Soju cocktails (barf), Wente wine, and Beer.
The Ferris Wheel rocks, the other concession booths are cool, the ATM has a $4 service charge....what more can I say? Oh- the port-o-potties were prety damn clean the whole time, and since the crowd petered out early due to cold and wind this year, there was still plenty of water, soap, and paper towels to wash your hands with at 8:30 PM! Sweet!!
Invite your crew, go for the music, bring lots of goodies and a backpack with clothing to layer and all your concert essentials, then just enjoy this thoroughly well planned and orchestrated event!
Every muscle in my body still hurts after a weekend at Treasure Island. I've been to Outsidelands and Coachella and I feel like TI was one of the better organized music festivals I've been to. I love the intimate feel of only two stages and not having two bands play simultaneously. I love being in the back of the crowd and still having a great view of the stage. I love that I never have to miss a band I would love to see because they're playing at the same time as another band. I love the view of the city and every aspect of this festival except for a few logistics.
I went to both Saturday and Sunday, which was a mistake in retrospect. I absolutely loved Passion Pit, MSTRKRFT and MGMT on Saturday (especially being basically front center for MSTRKRFT) even though I got decently bruised by a bunch of people trying to rave/mosh while shoulder to shoulder. They even closed with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and it was amazing to hear the entire crowd burst out with "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-" (extreme emphasis on the high note slide at me)
MGMT played their entire album all the way through followed by a few new songs. I was in front for them too, though I retrospect I probably should have left to go see Girltalk on the smaller stage, as I heard their show was fantastic.
There are quite a few cool art projects and vendors with free and sale items. The weather Saturday was absolutely beautiful and the view of the city was amazing. However, the line for the shuttle did take about an hour because we waited until the end of MGMT...
Sunday Beirut and Yo La Tengo stole the show for me. Flaming Lips put on as amazing a stage performance as ever and Decemberists are still the English major's band (especially when they play all of Hazards of Love all the way through). We made sure to leave 15 minutes early and only waited in line for shuttles for 10 minutes. Perhaps they increased their service, I don't know.
In retrospect, my body can't take two days of music festival, even if one day is significantly more mellow.
Getting raped by Heinekin for half of a beer is not my idea of a good time. I would like to make a statement right now to you oh-big-corporation-of-Heineken: BECAUSE you charged me $7 for four sips of beer at this festival I will NEVER choose to purchase your beer ever again unless forced to at a music festival where I must bend over and pay an outrageous amount of money for bad beer. I hate you.
The music on Saturday didn't really provide a whole lot of variety - I would have preferred to see some of the Sunday acts on Saturday and vice versa. Maybe that's why of the 10,000 people there Saturday, 9,874 of them were hipsters.
I'm all for well done music festivals, but this place lacked a variety of necessary ingredients such as conveniently placed porta potties, lights for the aisles at night, and a more food vendors (long food lines do not make happy festival goers). You should take some lessons from C3 entertainment. They do it better.
Such a fun time! Initially, I couldn't decide if I liked how small it was, but I definitely love it, reflecting back on the awesomeness. It's pretty bomb how there are only 2 stages, so you never miss a band and there are never 2 bands playing at the same time. The view of SF from the island is outstanding, especially on a sunny day!
They have some good booths set up with festival merchandise, local art, and other chotchkies.
Only things that sucked were the beer selection and bathrooms (obviously, since you're at a music festival), but they should've had two different bathroom areas, so not everyone was going at the same time.
This was my first musical festival, and I partook in both days; a good decision on my part. Good weather and good music? No problem. Yeah the crowd can be whack (pretentious hipsters), but come to think of it the crowd was the only let down for the evening. The line ups for both days were amazing. Obviously there are some bands no one cares about [that shall not be named], but my only true gripe in terms of line-up was that Yo La Tengo was on another stage prior to The Flaming Lips [on a different stage]. This made it conflicting because some people didn't want to lose their spots at one stage, so as a result, the crowd for Yo La Tengo was pretty small.
Overall, legit line-ups, awesome times. And talking about times: Every band started on time! The most is was "delayed" was 5-minutes; and most of the time a band didn't play on schedule, they played EARLIER [by a few minutes] than stated. Good scheduling combined with a view of the city...rad.
I'm gonna have to agree with Josh W. Girl Talk was easily the best part of this show. That guy is crazy, and I love the stage full of dancing drunk chicks.
To close his show, he played "Juicy" over the Tiny Dancer beat, and it actually sounded sick. This was choreographed with a fireworks show that blew the house down.
Before Girl Talk was MSTRKFT ... they were also a ridiculously good time. I dont usually rock out to "house" music like that, but in an awesome setting like Treasure Island, it could not have been more fun. Tons of people grooving and getting f'd up is how I like it.
MGMT I must say was slightly dissapointing. Of course I love all of their songs, but they just didnt sound as good live. Maybe they're more of a studio band - I dont know. Due to the poor sound quality, I couldnt decide if I liked their new shit either.
Transportation sucked, as the line for the busses was seemingly endless. All of I have to say about that is make sure you save some chronic for the bus line.
All in all - sick concert cant wait for next year
Greatest concert experience ever!
To see more than 4 of my favorite bands play live for a mere $65 makes this the best music fest/concert I have attended.
The Treasure Island Music Festival this year had a flawless line-up.
Hands down, Girl Talk performed the best. Theres something about GT's music that always turns every one of their concerts into a rave.
The festival had a very diverse selection of food to choose from which made everyone happy. The water supply was well organized and easily obtainable. The restrooms were in a private section away from all the festivities which was very smart on their part.
The only reason I would have taken away one star was because the transportation was kind of a hassle... You were not allowed to park on the island and the bus they provided took and hour and a half, both entering and exiting, due to the massive crowd in line.
Another minor personal flaw was that I didnt approve much of MGMT being the closing show.... dont get me wrong, they are a great band. I just feel they arent the best live and they didnt do their songs in a great order. Plus they cannot get the crowd as hyped up since most of their songs have a chill disposition compared to say MSTRKRFT/Girl Talk.
Im still giving the 5 star rating because I would so do it all over again. It was that good!
already anticipating next year.
GOOD
01) The shuttle situation was less painful than I thought it'd be. The buses were actually pretty nice.
02) Great location
03) Decent selection of music acts
04) Spicy Pie!
BAD
01) Don't have the main walk way down the whole festival be the same area where the lines from concessions are. MAJOR CONGESTION. You'd think this would be a no-brainer.
02) Have work crews constantly picking up the litter. By late afternoon of the first day, the grass area was disgusting.
03) The restroom areas... Where do I begin? It needs to be better lit and it needs to be in a larger area. By evening when most of the attendees are at the festival, the entrance/exit of the restroom area was an impenetrable mass of people most of the time. Was anyone refilling the hand sanitizer? The pumps for the sinks ran out of water and no one bothered to refill them. EW
I've been to A LOT of music festivals, massives, and concerts all over California so when I point out the "BAD", it's in comparison to what I've come across. IMO, these are inconveniences that festival goers shouldn't have to deal with and are very fixable.
About the beer... $7 for a Heineken is what I see at other music festivals. No big deal.
You must get Little Dragon on day one next year. They are perfect for the bill and amazing performers!!
TREASURE ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL !!!
OCTOBER 17&&OCTOBER 18
Check out the URL link for more info:
http://www.reverbnatio...
This is a wonderful location, if you're a festival fan and you're living in the SF area you should go and meet with all the other young people in the island who are often travelled many hours above in the sky just for this weekend to have some overpriced beers while listening indie music from both stages while you just simply called a cab and arrived there in 15 minutes for the same. The SF city skyline in the night amazing and MGMT was really cool, they've played all their 5 great songs, and a couple of filler tracks as well. There are comfortable buses helping people to escape from the island at the end of the event but prepare for an extreme long queue with a lot of burned out people who are struggling for their life, maybe it's better to leave before the masses starts streaming towards the exit. A nice event, if you are between 16 and 25, or you're over 30 but you just simply can't deal with that, you'll enjoy this festival, just don't forget to ask for the IDs to make sure you won't break the law.
TIMF is SF's premiere outdoor music festival!
Every year the lineup has bands I don't know, but they always turn out to be awesome! Get there early and go both days.
I look forward to this weekend all year long.
Amazing!! I waited years (okay maybe a couple years or so) to see Tegan and Sara (one of my favorite artists, THEY SO SEXYYY!!!) and I finally got to see them!!!
I only went on the Sunday show, and I saw Vampire Weekend, The Dodos, The Kills, which by the way, is another really amazing band, and also, The Raconteurs. Personally I felt Tegan and Sara was the band to be waiting for, and usually they save the best for last.. sooo.. I was surprised they placed The Raconteurs last for the show.. Not to say they are not that good, but I feel SOME OTHER bands play better...
Lots of indie hipsters gathered here with their little 90s shades with the green handles.. I have the same exact one that I got for free from a company picnic in the mid-90s as well, while everyone else paid $15-20 for theirs, ha!!
I went with a..er.. goth friend and her boyfriend (yes, the same one I went to The Faint concert at the Warfield last Saturday, if you read my review).. a little embarassing, the way they dressed....and it was obviously not their type of music but they went because they won free tickets from a radio station.. What a waste.. should've just given them to me instead of going, huh? Ha ha, just kidding..
Well actually, it WAS a waste because after 10 minutes of showing up, they got bored and left, and they couldn't come back in after.. because you're not allowed to just leave like that.. so basically I became a loner for another 6-7 hours...
and I begged my other friend to come also, since she already had tickets but WANTED to waste them (I have such wasting friends, don't I?) until she finally came, last minute.. so I enjoyed about 7 hours of lonely hell and 1 hour of happy i'm-not-alone joy....
Heineken beer (all they have) is hella expensive.. it's 7 dollars for a small plastic cup, and of course all the food and water is just as expensive. There was a coconut guy cutting coconut for $5 as well... expensiveee....
Well besides not having any food or water for 8 hours and being lonely for 7 hours, I had a great time...Fucking assholes, next time maybe one of YOU GUYS should keep me company!! I'm serious!
I've renewed my love for faux-hippie hipster girls.
I'm at the Treasure Island Music Festival, covering it for Performer Magazine, and they are everywhere. The sun is out and everyone is beautiful, and I can't help but fall in love a billion times over. I can just imagine it now: We'll wear our expensive, designer pre-frayed skinny jeans to the field, sporting our 80s shades that everyone has - except hers are red and mine are white so we are, like, still totally unique. She'll pull out an old towel from her sherpa bag and we'll sit there being ironic while judging others less pretty than us (which is everyone, really). The light makes her hair glow, bound by a headband that she can throw to smite my enemies, because for some reason she's also a ninja.
I've been telling everyone how TIMF is like the Disneyland of music festivals: friendly people, great music and an actively fun atmosphere. Not only do you get some of the best indie bands around, there are also numerous local vendors and artists selling their wares. It's honestly a vacation - you exist in a beautiful place between two worlds, where from one perspective you get the intense energy of an active stage, and from another the quietness of nighttime city lights...
PERFORMER MAG REVIEW: http://keane.festizio....
PHOTOS: http://keane.festizio.... (Day 1)
http://keane.festizio.... (Day 2)
It was a pleasure to work this festival. We got to see the logistics on both the back end - as well as the front - and everything was tremendously smooth. As Keane said - "it was the Disneyland of music festivals."
Having never been to Treasure Island before, it was a beautiful mini escape from what was a foggy day in San Francisco. With temperatures well into the 80's, with a cool breeze off the water, and nothing but green around - Treasure Island was a picturesque dream.
We set up the Yelp Booth right by the Ferris Wheel and spent the rest of the day checking out the new blinged up florescent hipster style which was in abundance at the festival, always accompanied by mellowed out smiles. There were hardly any lines for food, the ATM, the porta-potties, booths etc. Everything was not only easy to navigate, but a pleasure to navigate. As you moved throughout the small festival space, there was plenty of room to sit back on the grass and enjoy the clear day. The music sets were staggered between the two stages, so you were able to watch and enjoy everything, casually walking back and forth between the stages, during each set. And at the end of the day the shuttle was running regularly, efficient and an easy way to make it home.
It was nearly a perfect festival. My only qualm with the festival would be that many of the bands were very similar. Though each great - each performance would bleed into each other - and it was hard sometimes to discern the difference between some of them. That being said - I'm not exactly an indie rock expert, and I am more accustomed to shaking my butt off at a concert, rather than shaking my head slowly to a somewhat laid back set.
If you appreciate Indie Music and know it well - the Treasure Island Music Festival will be a much welcomed escape. Just don't expect any raging partiers, and classic concert craziness - you can get a nice dose of that at Outside Lands instead.
As I was here in a semi-professional capacity, I was able to see TIMF from a different perspective (sober) and I was also only there on Sunday.
While few of the bands really piqued my interest (frankly many of them sounded the same to me, but I also wasn't paying attention) I was glad I stayed for at least part of The Raconteurs.
The pros were:
The Yelp table...because I was there.
The med worker dressed up as a pirate.
The fact that I met some interesting people.
The cons were:
One of the port-a-potties was on unstable ground, which I did not notice until AFTER I got in. It was kind of scary. Thankfully, this was at the beginning of the day before anyone else used it, so I was able to avoid any excessive fragrant sloshing.
They should have had a better map of where all the vendors were. People I talked to had no idea where things were.
Two words: Irish Coffee. It was friggin cold.
I might go next year, if they get a new Ferris Wheel. That bear was pretty freaky.
In retrospect, my experience at Treasure Island Music Festival was one of my all-time favorites. Not only was I able to see a host of bands for the first time, but it was all with the backdrop of San Francisco in the background. The view of SF at night from Treasure Island is breath-taking especially at the top of a Ferris Wheel. $5 well spent!
A fellow music lover and I caught Hot Chip (my favorite), Goldfrapp (his favorite), CSS, TV on the Radio and Justice on one day of the festival and wished we had purchased the two day passes in retrospect. The shuttle service to and from the Island was fast and efficient.
When we weren't watching any bands, the booths and people-watching helped pass the time. He purchased a witty and non-PC t-shirt that read "Eat Rice Bitch" and I admired the abundance of hipsters with various different colored tight jeans. It was like they were imported from The Mission.
I would HIGHLY recommend this festival next year to anyone who wants to experience a unique and FUN concert-going experience.
The Yelperazzi were out at the Treasure Island Music Festival last weekend, shooting pics and takin' names.
The line-up was great. Gotta hand it to Noise Pop for always being on top of the cutting edge bands, from Vampire Weekend to Goldfrapp. It was so cute to see all of the little indie hipsters walking around in their boho chic, neon 80s or ghetto fabulous. Kids these days!
I'm not a fan of overblown concerts, but this festival was one of the most pleasant I've been to with a mellow beer drinking crowd, warm sunny weather and bands rotating on two different stages. The ferris wheel brings something magical to the island, along with a breathtaking view of the Bay.
Don't try to stop me -- I'm movin' out to Treasure Island!
Came back for 2008 and happy to say it wasn't a victim of its own popularity (unlike a certain SoCal concert I know...).
Highlight (which corresponded, entirely coincidentally, to my own personal *high* point of the day, IYKWIM) was definitely the Fleet Foxes playing a song (whose name I have been unable to discover) that sounded like Dvorak's New World Symphony by way of Neil Young. Epic, man.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/18/2007
Eat that, Coachella.
Once again, NorCal proves that anything SoCal can do, we can do better.… Read more »
Oh TI, you are like my mini-coachella baby. I heart you.
We had a great time at this festival, and after the mess that was outside lands, I had LOOOOOOW expectations. But TI did not disappoint. Easy commute to take the muni to the ballpark, and once there the lines to get on the lovely leather-seated charter buses were totally short and we got to drink all we wanted on the bus. Thanks to the brill transport situation there was no traffic and it took no time to get there, or to get home.
Incase gave away ipod cases, yelp moderators chatted with me, and the drinks were flowing in the VIP. I am scared of ferris wheels but i waved to my friends and was happy they were in the line for only a short while. Plus there was trashcans everywhere (landfill, recycling and compost) unlike the supposed "green" outside lands where I had to work to find a single one. Here I didn't have to litter!
Also unlike outside lands, and actually unlike coachelle, you didn't have to choose which acts to see...you could see them all. I like the intimate feel with just two stages. Will definitely do this again!
Not to mention that for just $65 I got my CSS, TV on the Radio, Justice, and Hot Chip.
This may have been one of the most fun Saturdays of my life for realzzzzzz!!!!
We got to the AT and T parking lot and were shuttled on a leather-seated fancy-ass party bus to the Island of Treasures where the fun began. I was way over bundled, because the day turned out to be absolutely warm and beautiful. Layers, people, layers. After I shed my jacket, sweatshirt and purse at the most useful booth at the festival-the locker bins ($10 for the day)my first plan of action, of course, was garlic fries and beer. Done and done. We settled on the lawn to watch the first band play.
The Frail: This was the first band, thus I assumed probably pretty lame and not worth paying attention to. Not true. They're San Fran locals and played some quality rock for their brief but enjoyable set.
Time for more drinks. Concerts these days are selling soju, this Korean sake stuff, everywhere. So I decided to buy a blueberry soju martini from one of the sweet, yet slutty soju hos peddling her wares. Yum. Drunk. Next Band.
Loquat: Another San Fran based band. They were a little more electronic and lyrical than the Frail. The lead singer was hot and she had a beautiful voice. I had to dance a little despite the scowling hipsters around me whose pants are apparently too tight to allow them to move, or clap apparently.
Chester French: Sassy. Seriously. Preppy boy front man who sang about how LA sucked and sleeping with groupies with a scrungy backup band called "The Perverts." The music was a little more harsh than the other too, but still dance friendly and fun.
Aesop Rock!: I can't believe I actually saw him live! I love love love Aesop and he did not disappoint. No gimmicks, no small-talk just pure hip-hop. He was accompanied by Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz (who did an awesome mash-up solo). I ditched my friends and snuck up to the front and got to see them all up close and pound my fist in the air in appreciation.
Need Aesop gear. Go to the merchandise stand. They sold gear from all the bands and Treasure Island gear, as well. I bought an Aesop Rock sweatshirt for my boyfriend, buuuuut decided I wanted it for myself. Sorry baby. haha.
Anabalis: I had no idea what to think when this band came on. there were horns, Brazilian drums, guitars, bases, a regular drum set etc.. They were so enthusiastic and created a unique and vibrant sound. One of the singers was this big African dude in a pink, linen leisure suit and face paint. He made us sing in a foreign language that he never explained.
We took a bathroom break. The port-a-potties were actually pretty clean and there weren't too long of lines, cause there were tons. We explored the merchandise stands. Some stands had cool stuff like band posters, that my friends went wild for, or home-made sweatshirts. There was an art gallery with pieces from local artists. There was face painting, a Ferris wheel and photo stands.
Hot Chip: Due to various means we were very much ready to get down by the time Hot Chip was playing. They are a well-suited British electronic musicians. We danced our asses off and got really sweaty and worked up. I've definitely got to see them again live.
Diner time. Perhaps the best chicken strips of my life. End of story.
I very much enjoyed watching the hipsters and posers all around me. During the day most people stood around posing with their friends and trying to look cooler than everyone else. Not many really seemed that into the music, so I'm assuming they were there just for the scene itself. I guess they didn't realize that they're not all that unique when what they're wearing is pretty much the exact replica of everyone around them. Boys: TIGHT pants, plaid shirt or tight tee, fancy sneakers, perfectly tousled hair, RayBan's. Girls: belted sundress, leather boots or moccasins, Long perfectly tousled hair, RayBan's. They amused me.
Goldfrapp: Kill me now. Seriously, why do people like her? She wore a dress made of ribbons and danced around her very own may pole, while her band all in white, except for the beautiful harpist-yes harpist-who was allowed to wear a flowy, yellow dress, dreamily accompanied her. I'm sorry I hate gimmicks and this was over-the-top. As the sun was setting on the bay and the wind was blowing in her face she gazed lovingly at the sun and closer her eyes as she sang. Ridiculous. Bye.
Mike Relm: Hilarius DJ. How often do you hear a mix with 80s TV show theme songs in it? Enough said.
CSS: Brazilian. Name means "Tired of Being Sexy" after a Beyonce quote. Lead Singer came out in a jacket that looked like a spiky balloon. Sings about Paris Hilton being a bitch. Great dance sound. SO much dancing.
And Finally: JUSTICE: There are no words. Like a techno orgasm. I will see those Frenchmen in any way possible until they no longer tour.
The end.
As far as Festivals go? This one was one of the coolest, most easy going, easy to get to, no line or short line for food and toilets.. and the lineup rocked!. The day went really quick. That's because there was no waiting around bored between bands. When 1 stage went dark the other lit up immediately. The weather was a rare sunny, windless (for the most part) SF bay day. crazy. I was ecstatic, really. The cute indie girl factor was way high. and the drunk frat boy idiot factor was almost non existent. I am very happy I went. The Kills killed and The Raconteurs Racked.. I mean ROCKED. my money was Well Spent. Yes indeed. I can't remember the last time i'd had so much fun atop a bunch of nuclear waste laced bay bottom sludge.
As far as Mr. "not $70 worth of music"? OK, go buy 1 Raconteurs, 1 Tegan and Sarah, 1 Kills, and 1 Vampire weekend... should I continue? And then have each one play on a perfect sunny day with a beautiful backdrop of the SF skyline. How much would that cost you? ...even half of them?
Well, to start this off i would like to say that the view from treasure island is incredible! this is my first california music festival experience, after attending acl i swore i would never go back, the crowd is just too much and it is so hard trying to regulate where and when to be, the beer and water were hot and it was just not a good experience, On the other hand treasure island was very pleasant, the perfect number of people and great bands. The only complaint i have which i'm not going to knock off a star for b/c i drank wine instead was the beer selection which was only heineken and let's just say not everyone is a fan of the heini!
I will def. be back next year.
Well I had a damn good time.
My shuttle to the festival rode smoothly although I had to sit on my BF's lap. SO what, we snuggled for the 15 minute ride.
The views from the ferris wheel ($5/ride) were gorgeous: SF skyline, Bay Bridge = orgasmic.
Then the MUSIC! Oh the Music. I only went on Saturday but hurrah. Hurrah everyone that was there.
Awesome people, great dancing.
Only thing I'd say is that the grounds were not super clean on Saturday night. The MC had to make an announcement from the stage for people to pick their shit up. Outside Lands was a greener festival but it was amazing over all!
Amongst my own obnoxiousness I noticed the following things:
1. Lax security (thank god!)
2. Non - existent drink lines.
3. Bearable bathroom lines.
4. Beautiful S.F. skyline
5. JUSTICE played a METALLICA SONG.
Yup that's about it. I would definitely come back again.
I vowed to return last year and return I did. GREAT festival, the kind of festival that makes one enjoy festivals. The vibe, the view, the well behaved crowd, the organizational factor, the decent prices, the art, the mural, the live art, the live music, the port a potties cleanliness, the well kept grounds during the festival (very clean, organized trash system), the skyline at dusk, the shuttles, the the the the the...
All so great, seriously.
I had such a great time again, here's hoping to this being an ongoing affair.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/17/2007
I will be the first to admit that I am not an avid festival attendee because I like to go to shows… Read more »
I did go to Outsidelands, and Treasure Island did in fact blow it out of the water. A big round of applause to the organizers of this event -- the lines for everything (excepting the free tee screening booth; people love them freebies!) were completely manageable (if not nonexistent), the sound was awesome, every act went on as scheduled, and the shuttle buses were much, much less stressful than I'd anticipated.
Minus one star because we did leave a half-hour or so early to avoid a long wait at the buses, and it broke my heart a little to miss any of The Raconteurs. This may have been unnecessary, as we waited maybe 3 minutes to get on a bus, but you live and learn. Also, I too felt pained as I drove from Oakland past the festival to the city just to turn around and head back on a bus, but you can't really fault the organizers for the lack of parking on teeny tiny Treasure Island, and they handled the problem with an intelligence that was sorely lacking at Outsidelands.
If Outsidelands had me wondering whether the Bay Area could pull off a successful festival, Treasure Island restored the faith.
I am ashamed to say that I have never been to a music festival until this one, but man am I glad i picked this one to pop my festival cherry, so to speak.
Everything was so tight (heh). The bus system was surprisingly efficient, and the shows went so smoothly within and between sets. Except, I guess, when there were mic difficulties during CSS, but Lovefoxx kept goin' with a mic in each hand, so that didn't dampen things much. (Loved her duck tape/bubble wrap...thing, btw.)
I also really enjoyed the booths of cool stuff (free screen print scraf, say whattt?). The treasure hunt was kind of fun too - you text a number to sign up, and they text you a location to go to for prizes every hour or so. Although, i don't know what I'm going to do with the girl's tee I got for free. The free flask that I got, though, will be put to good use, heh.
Luckily, I never had to stand in line for the porta-potties (I didn't need to pee at all when the sun was out..weird/dehydrated huh?). I did go to them once during TV on the Radio, and there was no line. It was super dark in there, so I like...half guessed where the urinal was. What surprised me, though, was that it didn't smell like rotting feces inside.
All in all, it was a great day. I only wish I didn't come 20 minutes late to Hot Chip's set. :(
I went on Sunday and had a blast. I must say the only thing(s) I didn't like were 1) A bunch of staff were rude and 2) the dirty ass water to wash your hands with was not a good thing.
Racontuers were the best band by far. Dr. Dog was suprisingly good as was vampire weekend. I thought the whole thing was organized great and got to and from on the busses w/o any problems at all. Great Job!
I could go on and on and on about the 2-day Treasure Island Music Festival, brought to you by Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment.
I could go on about how our Bauer's shuttle broke down twice on the way back to Giants parking lot from Treasure Island (it's a good thing we had WiFi!).
I could talk about the 93 mile long line to the ATM. I could talk about the mediocre festival fare or the uber-expensive (7 dollars for 12 ounces) Heinekens (thanks Jason K!).
I could talk about the booths set up (Yay, McSweeney's! Yay, SF Bike Coalition!) or the vintage arcade game tent.
I could talk about Film School or Built to Spill or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or Modest Mouse or Sea Wolf or Spoon.
I could also talk about the future redevelopment plans on Treasure Island (reconverted ferry terminal with direct access to the SF Ferry Building, signature 600 foot tower, dense lively neighborhoods with 5,000+ dwellings, ground floor retail, restaurants, & entertainment, and the world's first eco-friendly and self-sustaining green urban neighborhood; see http://www.sfgate.com/...)
But what I really appreciated about Treasure Island is that us San Franciscans now have another superlative to add to our City's many treasures.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you - undoubtedly THE WORLD'S MOST SCENIC MOUNDS OF... well, SHIT:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I love being smug.
im used to big balls out music festivals where theres like, 400 acts on 50 stages at once & if you get to see one FULL act, you should get a gold star.
TIMF surprised me. two stages that share your ears.
CSS: "well hell-o there hot chip, i see you are ready to play. "
HC: "good day, css, i see you are looking lovely as always"
CSS: "we were just finishing up, please, be our guests"
HC: "cheerio"
CSS: "toodles"
the biggest drag tho, was the mess. HELLO. hipsters! pick up your shit. mom dosnt work here. honestly.. theres plenty of trash cans, use em, you coked out heineken guzzling bastards.
ps, $7 for a heineken sucked balls. your option? heineken light. oooh.
I'm glad to say that I went to at least one day of the Treasure Island Music Festival. I'm more of an indie rock fan, so went on Sunday with a bunch of friends (although I might have gone on Saturday just for M.I.A.).
The organizers did a great job with bussing people from AT&T Park to Treasure Island (you had to have VIP tickets to drive yourself onto the island). Once there, you could choose to check out some very cool local vendors (826 Valencia, Paxton Gate, etc.), a bunch of green-friendly organizations, even a ferris wheel!
Food and beer were at festival prices, but it was pretty easy to sneak a flask or what have you. Not having attended a festival since Lollapalooza when I was in college, I kind of enjoyed spending $7 on a Heineken.
Let's, love the two stages - Bridge and Tunnel - and bands on both had the luxury of an amazing sound system that seldom overwhelmed any of the acts. I went to see M. Ward and Spoon in specific, but really enjoyed Sea Wolf, Au Revoir Simone, Built to Spill, really the whole day and experience.
Good times spent at a great outdoor location, on a perfect sunny afternoon, I'll be back next year, thanks Noise Pop, for putting it together!
I've been to a lot of concerts, and quite a few festivals (including Austin City Limits and Coachella more than once) and must say, Treasure Island Festival was probably the best organized show/festival that I've been to.
Things I liked:
-short bathroom lines
-cool, affordable merchandise (they must have sold tons of $40 hoodies!)
-decent food selection
-old school arcade games and a ferris wheel!
-enough vendors to hold my interest without being overwhelming
-the shuttle buses didn't suck...parked the car for free and on TI within 15 minutes
Things I'd change for next year:
-larger beer selection...if you're only choices are heineken and heineken light they should at least be cheaper than $7
-more atm's...longest line at the festival
-more coffee vendors...longest line once the sun went down
-next year please don't do it the same weekend as ACL - I'd love to go to both!
I had a blast both days and will definitely be attending the Treasure Island Festival for year's to come.
Gotan Project is phenomenal live. Really overwhelmed my ears.
My Heineken cup was made from corn starch so it was compost! Its so cool.
This festival was INSANE. I had an amazing time. It was organized pretty good too. M.I.A. was beyond cool, as always. And Zion I put on a great show, even with power trouble for appx. 2 minutes. Food was good. Weather was great. Beer was $7. Bathroom lines weren't ridiculous. And merch. was beyond reasonable (for a concert.) I definitely would return next year.
Note to festival organizers:
Things I would change for next year-
---Sell more than just beer and wine. WE NEED VODKA!
---Put more thought in the set order...M.I.A. in the middle of the day? I went home with an entire busload of people (and more waiting) after her set was done.
---Make sure the arcade games actually work. I tried 3 and all were broken.
---Put more SIGNAGE of where to go on the island. Our cab driver drove us around and around because there was nothing pointing us in the right direction.
But kudos for a successful kick-ass first year festival!
This is for Sunday. Let's start with the bad. $7 for a beer that I don't get to choose sucked. The sound on the main stage was inconsistent and not so great through the middle of the lineup.
Aside from those things I thought this was a great event. I wasn't busting ass to get up front and more or less passed the afternoon as if I was in a park with friends while some seriously good live music was being played about 50 yards away. And while I wasn't sure how the logistics would work they had transportation down to a science. Sure there were lines but they were almost always moving. Add in beautiful views of the city and bridges, including the setting sun and then moon, and you have a very fine experience.
I was here for two superfluous days.
One song stuck, singing it's way through the post-purchase lethargy; Spoon's rendidtion of "The Ghost of you lingers" was everything and eerie all at once. I remember the angered keyboards, the clattering disquiet littered throughout the song - it was so ill-timed and repulsive that you'd almost recoil in your stance at each chime. Britt Daniel spun a thread of ethereal calm throughout, inaudible words ambling across a field of staccatoed chords. And no sooner does it promise an explosion of sound, it ends. I've never heard this song better.
I don't really remember anything else.
A baby on his father's back bouncing it's newly tethered head to each footstep during the DJ Shadow set. The seeping wet grass outside the toilets. An awkward blanket, dirty with paranoia and my own flayed morality. Two girls putting away shoes in paired alignment. Bad photos.
The show was great. TVOTR and CSS were at their usual kick ass selves. I was kinda disappointed by Goldfrapp...I like her but she made me sleepy here. The shuttle service was great, no need to worry about parking or drinking too much. I coulda snuck a flask in but I thought security was going to be tighter. JUSTICE was incredible! I'll definitely be back, with a jacket cause it was coooooold!
Short Version--
The Awesome:
. an amazing lineup of music (sooo much indie love...)
. well-organized people running the show (no jerks)
. VIP tickets (mostly worth the dough)
. full bar (always good)
. arcade (cool)
. ferris wheel (neat)
. food selection (various, if expensive)
. venue (beautiful, amazing, perfect)
The Suck:
. the sound on the vocalists' mics (If you can't hear it, TURN IT UP!)
. the beer "selection" (Heineken and Heineken light? That's IT?! Are you f@#$ing kidding me?)
. ATMs should be more numerous, and more importantly, functional.
The Long Version--
I have to say, I was impressed by the grace with which this huge event was pulled off. I hadn't been to a music festival since I was 19, and for many reasons: I hate crowds. I hate standing for hours and hours waiting for one of the two bands I want to see to come on. I hate standing around for hours and hours watching roadies set up and take down equipment and screech through sound checks. I hate being herded around like cattle. I hate poorly organized staff people who are mean and don't know anything. I hate crappy, expensive food. I hate lines for port-o-johns that are 45 minutes long.
But when I took one look at Sunday's lineup and saw not two, not three but four acts that I would kill to see, I knew this was a music festival I'd have to make an exception for. And now, as a fully formed, credit-card wielding adult, I was willing to splurge on VIP tickets in hopes of alleviating some of the hated qualities of music festivals past.
Low and behold, the organizers of the TI Festival had their shit together like nobody's business. The on-island parking that came with the VIP tickets was very handy. There were no long lines to get in, no crush of people shoving through a turnstile. The replacement of paper tickets with wristbands to be flashed at appropriate checkpoints was a stroke of genius. The people who staffed and patrolled the whole event were friendly. The judicious use of the two stages was a brilliant example of efficiency. The variety of foodstuffs (though still spendy) was a welcome sight. The ID checking stations (as opposed to leaving the task to the people at the front gate) were also a good call. The ferris wheel and the old-school arcade were a very nice touch. And of course, the venue was beautiful--never a better place for a concert.
However, the mics for all the singers up until Modest Mouse were too low, meaning the subtle little vocal stylings used by Alec Ounsworth of CYHSY or M. Ward were totally lost. And when I miss half of "Magic Trick" because the sound guy can't be bothered to fix his shit, I get a little upset. But maybe that's just the princess in me.
The other bad was the total lack of a beer selection. Thank god we paid for access to the full bar in the VIP tent because there was no way in hell I was going to spend eight hours drinking Heineken and Heineken Light. (Yes, I am a total beer snob. Deal with it.) It was a complete sham and a total shame that at such a progressive, green, Bay Area event, they gave Heineken, of all beer makers, a monopoly on beer sales. I suppose I should just be grateful it wasn't Anheuser-Busch.
But regardless, it was an amazing day with great music, and isn't that the point of a music festival? This will be an event I will eagerly anticipate from here on out.
