Beach Goth 2016 Day 1 pics (Growlers, TLC, Tricky, RuPaul's Drag Race, James Blake, HEALTH & much more)
The music might be the easy part. This year’s Beach Goth, the fifth annual and biggest production yet from the ingeniously sleazy O.C. band the Growlers, had the most spit-take interesting bill of any 2016 fest not featuring the likes of the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.
At the top of Saturday’s lineup was the first local show from Bon Iver since his recent re-invention as an avant-garde noise composer of profound beauty and ambition (Bon Iver, who’s real name is Justin Vernon, headlines the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday with Patti Smith, another Beach Goth performer).
Bon Iver’s new album, “22, a Million,” was a total re-imagining of his one-of-a-kind voice, cutting out his high-lonesome art folk for a haze of laptop static. And after a full day of Beach Goth’s logistical pains, Vernon had the star power and bracing freshness to make it all OK again.
There was a lovely, spooky turn from James Blake, and some ’90s nostalgia fun from TLC. YouTuber and “The Voice” contestant Melanie Martinez’s stage was all creepy Internet nihilism (she was decked out like an infant Lolita, baby bottles and all), and there were also tons of compelling punkish and electronic acts like Gang of Four, Health, Tricky and the Faint… [LA TIMES]
Saturday’s Beach Goth lineup also included Leftover Crack, Heron Oblivion, Cold Cave, performers from Rupaul’s Drag Race, Albert Hammond Jr of the Strokes, and TSOL all who are pictured in the gallery above along with most of the artists mentioned above (though we weren’t able to get Bon Iver, and we didn’t try to get Melanie Martinez).
Sunday got plagued by rain and caused Grimes to cancel her set. Check out day 1 photos above and stay tuned for more. UPDATE: Day 2 pics HERE.
Catch Tricky on tour and in NYC at Webster Hall this week (and read our new interview).
And this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ip2NKjRrQ
photos by Andy Sawyer
