With the weather forecast calling for temperatures in the upper 90’s on Friday, we did our best to prepare for an all day event in the sweltering NYC summer heat.  But upon entering the venue, it was clear that the organizers of the Panorama Festival planned appropriately for our day.  With many free water kiosks, tents and air conditioned art & music areas, it was easy to cool down if you were feeling overwhelmed by the oppressive heat.

And although it’s not so easy to get to Randall’s Island, our timing was very good, and as we walked in Here We Go Magic was just starting to play in the huge tent to the north side of the venue.  I was happy to finally here the band live. Some years ago I interviewed Luke Temple, but lost touch with the band’s more recent happenings.  They had a decent crowd for the early part of the day, and although they apologized for some technical difficulties, we were impressed with their set.

As we made our way over to the main stage, we could hear Algier’s set was already in full swing.  Algier’s set was only 30 minutes, but their powerful, dark soulful sound was evident throughout.  While listening we were able to cool down over at the American Express spot.  We snapped together some complimentary sunglasses and enjoyed some refreshments for a bit before heading back to the pavilion to hear Preservation Hall Jazz Band. A rather large, enthusiastic crowd was now gathered and grooving to some of the best New Orleans style jazz you can find on the planet.  As the band closed their set, we had just enough time to grab a bite from one of the many food vendors on hand.  There was certainly something for everyone, with a slight bias toward the all American favorite, pizza.

The next band up on the main stage was Silversun Pickups.  I was very excited to see the band, but my excitement was a bit tempered after watching them on TV perform in the late spring. It seemed like maybe they were a bit off, or still getting their chops in order for the big tour on that day. With a new album out earlier in the year, this would be the first time performing much of the new material. Well, they were much more polished for their set at Panorama, and overall it was a very good performance. The new songs were great live, and the older hits had the crowd in a euphoric state as they closed out with my personal favorite, Lazy Eye.

As we worked our way back to the pavilion stage, we could see that a massive crowd had gathered to see Broken Social Scene; one of two Canadian bands to play at the festival on Friday.  They were already rocking their 2nd or 3rd song by the time we got there and they were in fine form.  After hearing “Shoreline”, we quickly headed over to the parlor to check out Mike D’s debut as a DJ.

I came to find that my expectation of an old school hip hop DJ set from the former Beastie Boy rapper extraordinaire was way off the mark. Instead, Mike D was playing newer, trap music and was struggling to put it all together.  It was a real head scratcher given that his era of hip hop was much different, and I would imagine most came with similar expectations.  Being such a huge Beastie Boys fan, it was disappointing, but there was little time for disappointment as Alabama Shakes was getting set to take the main stage.

When you hear about artists having a certain stage presence, one may wonder exactly what that means.  Brittany Howard, lead singer, guitarist for Alabama Shakes has a massive stage presence that commands your attention. She plays guitar with a level of comfort rarely seen, while the raw power of her vocals and the band’s sound will take your breath away. In a day with so many great performances, the stage was set for Arcade Fire to make it a truly unforgettable night, and that’s exactly what they did.

As Arcade Fire took to the stage playing their massive hit “Ready to Start” from the 2010 Grammy winning album, “The Suburbs,” it was clear that the crowd was energized and ready to hear the band’s first live set in the U.S this year.  As the band flawlessly and aggressively weaved through their set improvising their original wide ranging songs from indie & punk rock to electronic dance beats,  they did so with a flair and presence that hearkens back to The Who’s rock opera, “Tommy.” As if this wasn’t enough, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined Arcade Fire to form a Mardi Gras second line and marched through the crowd in tribute to the late, great David Bowie playing classics, “Rebel Rebel,” “Suffragette City” and “Heroes.”

It was truly an incredible day of music, and the organizers of Panorama Festival did a fine job in curating the music for Friday’s show as well as the overall production and execution of a massive event.  For all the doubters questioning the $125 ticket price, it was well worth it- Brooklyn Vegan!

-Frank Jackson