pictures from the Yeasayer show @ Governors Island

photos by Ryan Muir

Yeasayer, Keepaway and Delicate Steve kicked off the “Gone to Governors” series of free shows on the Beach @ Governors Island Saturday night (6/5). The capacity of The Beach is 3500 and that number was hit by 7pm, a full hour before the first band went on. Any one who showed up for the ferry after that, or who was on line already when that number was hit, was unfortunately turned away (though I heard that maybe at some point some people may have been able to get on when others left early)… that system is going to hopefully be improved in the future with the help of Twitter and more experience. Ultimately though, capacity is capacity and it’s a free show (ticketed shows are more straightforward – anyone with a ticket gets on the boat).

People that did make it on the island experienced a unique outdoor NYC concert venue with sand, amazing views of the Manhattan skyline, lit-up colorful palm trees, and lots of people dancing. Ease of getting food, and of getting home, were common complaints that the promoters hope to improve as the summer goes on. That said, it’s inevitable that there will be some waiting when the only way to leave a “sold out”, 3500-capacity concert is on a ferry. A full review and more pictures from the free show are coming soon. In the meantime, check out this photo set by Ryan from the event…