5 things you missed at Panorama music festival Saturday
NEW YORK — Slightly cooler temperatures and far more people were on deck for the second day of Panorama, produced by Coachella masterminds Goldenvoice and nestled just under the RFK Bridge in Randall's Island Park. Along with mesmerizing performances by AlunaGeorge and Kaytranada, here's what else you missed:
5 things you missed at Panorama music festival Friday
Kendrick Lamar pays tribute to shooting victims
Continuing his reign into 2016 with four Grammy Awards and a No. 1 album, untitled unmastered, the hip-hop heavyweight didn't disappoint in his two-hour headlining set, which leaned less on his socially conscious To Pimp a Butterfly, and more so on old favorites including Backseat Freestyle and A.D.H.D. for his "Day 1 fans." Along with tipping his hat to Prince, whose face was projected onscreen during Swimming Pools (Drank), Lamar also alluded to police-shooting victims Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, speaking before his rousing Black Lives Matter anthem Alright. "Right here, right now, we going to celebrate life," he said. "We going to celebrate the lives of the victims that passed these past three weeks."
Sufjan Stevens majestically recalls Adz era
Genre-busting singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens was a dazzling weekend highlight with his kaleidoscopic headlining show, which pulled less from last year's heartbreaking masterpiece Carrie & Lowell and primarily from his breathtakingly out-there The Age of Adz. Changing in and out of costumes that included feathery angel wings, a balloon headpiece and disco ball-plated vest, Stevens flitted around the stage with a group of neon-clad dancers and singers, whose backup vocals lent an almost church-like feel to anthems Too Much, Vesuvius and Chicago. The Olympian, 25-minute Impossible Soul was the unrivaled standout, with Stevens at one point busting out Auto-Tune, quipping, "I'm trying like Kanye West."
Anderson.Paak & The Free Nationals bring Malibu to East Coast
Saturday's toughest choice came down to Dev Hynes' slick solo project Blood Orange on the main stage and rising hip-hop star Anderson .Paak, who played at the same time in the smaller Pavilion tent. Those who picked the latter's late-afternoon show made the right call, as the West Coast rapper's infectious energy pervaded his string of Malibu cuts including Come Down and Am I Wrong, and reached a fever pitch during woozy Kaytranada collaboration Glowed Up. Further cementing his reputation as a multi-talented musician, the 30-year-old spent much of his set on the drums, giving a decidedly rock edge to an otherwise breezy set list.
Foals trot out punchy indie-rock set
Rock continued to be the driving genre of Saturday's lineup, with The National, The Julie Ruin and Ex Hex all turning in satisfactory sets. But English five-piece Foals — dressed in plain tees and bathed in cool, leopard-pattern lights — outshone them all with its roaring, punk-infused show, which had the mostly male crowd jumping to rollicking favorites My Number and Mountain at My Gates.
Oh Wonder marvels with easygoing alt-pop
Another British artist proved to be an unexpected highlight early in the day, although the blistering temperatures kept most concertgoers away from the main stage. Oh Wonder, the London-based duo of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West, was endearingly humble and gracious as they cruised through a colorful, catchy set of wistful indie pop: their glassy voices meshing harmoniously with electronic elements on pulsing highlights Drive and Technicolour Beat.