Every year, Treasure Island Music Festival brings two days’ worth of scenic music consumption to that island out in the Bay. The way the booking pans out, Saturday rounds up most of the electronic and dance-inducing performers of the weekend, leaving Sunday for indie rock enthusiasts. This year’s lineup looks slightly different. Especially for those who enjoy electronic music, the second day lineup for this year’s festival is experiencing a slight spillover of said genre artists — including the relentlessly innovative Animal Collective, the aggressively pop-electro duo Sleigh Bells, and the current king of electronic pop, James Blake.
Full disclosure: this is my first time hearing about LA-based band IO Echo, who is currently on tour with Haim (whether or not intentionally humorous, the band advertises that they’ll be playing ‘Treasure Isle’ on this tour). IO Echo fit perfectly in the ultra-feminine section of the bill – sandwiched between their tourmates, the all-sister group and SPIN October cover girls Haim, and the fantastic Portland-based, female-fronted Deep Sea Diver.
Let’s cut to the chase — aside from all of the additional electronic pop and the femme rock invasion, the Sunday lineup is really killing it with the inclusion of Real Estate. To think, this band’s first few shows in the Bay Area were at tiny venues like the Hemlock just a few years ago! Now with two solid full-lengths under their belts, and another on the way (see album teaser video below), the band will be playing select dates in New York, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and in San Francisco for the festival. No doubt some of their new material will be tested out on the Treasure Island crowd.
Treasure Island Music Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, October 19–20. Both single day and two-day tickets are still available for purchase.