Northside’s Ten Year BK Festival-The Music !

June 14, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Space Jamzzzz / photo by Ray Fontaine

Brooklyn Roads feasted on a music buffet of indie artists at the Northside Festival 2018. Northside, in a SXSW fashion, functions by booking music all day and all weekend in a dense cluster of venues on the north side of Brooklyn. Festival goers could choose to attend concerts à la carte, paying for tickets at the door of each venue, or bounce from one location to the next with a Festival badge. With so many small, independent artists from every genre performing at venues in close proximity to each other, the festival provides a great opportunity to discover new bands.

MisterVacation / photo by Ray Fontaine

The festival also has a Northside Innovation segment with a number of sessions designed for entrepreneurs, designers and music marketers, but Brooklyn Roads focused on the live music. On Friday, June 8th, Secret Project Robot, a not for profit artists space in Bushwick, hosted a two-stage show with several DJs, presented by music label Sweat Equity NYC. MisterVacation took the stage at midnight, combining electro, fem, power and French pop with heavy bass, rap and Latin dance beats. This high-energy DJ left no song unsampled, at one point even playing Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” Later ,on the main stage, Space Jamzzz started with an empty dance floor ,but attracted a growing audience. Throughout the experimental trance dance electronic set, the stage and dance floor were lit by trippy, pulsing projections.

Gustaf / photo by Ray Fontaine

On Saturday June 9th, Brooklyn Roads venue-hopped from Our Wicked Lady to Pete’s Candy Shop to Union Pool, with each performance offering a completely different sound. In Bushwick ,at Our Wicked Lady, the female led quintet, Gustaf, rocked out on the rooftop at around 4 pm in a discorded, pop-punk fashion. The band showed off bright, vintage outfits and high-energy dance moves, with lead singer Lydia Gammill’s in your face energy and comedic flair.

Lucite Tokki /photo by Ray Fontaine

After that, Brooklyn Roads visited Pete’s Candy Shop in Greenpoint to see some new wave slow jams by Lucite Tokki, a Korean synth-singer pop duo with a dreamy falsetto style and splash of electric guitar. The band looped harmonies through midi controllers and pedals to perform covers of pop songs like “10 feet tall” by XTC and “I’m Not in Love” by 10CC. Lucite Tokki promised to write more of their own songs in English by the end of the summer. The set closed with a Lucite Tokki original, “Good”, a morbid melody claiming, “you will look good, even when you’re dead.” If you like Sylvan Esso, Fka Twigs, SBTRKT, The XX or Sade, you’ll be into this band.

Billy Moon / photo by Ray Fontaine

Brooklyn Roads finished its mini tour of the Northside Festival at Union Pool to catch Billy Moon’s performance. Hailing from Montreal and garbed in a skeleton printed dress, lead singer Billy Moon opened by announcing that “This song is about Toronto!” . The all-male quintet played upbeat rock, while cracking jokes and dancing around the stage. Billy Moon’s sweet vibrato combined with his classic rock band to blend sounds of Weezer, The Killers, Jamaica Queens, and Dead Broke.

All of the venues Brooklyn Roads saw at Northside Festival had lovely outdoor spaces and great music to boot! If you attend next year, though, make sure to wear some walking shoes.

Artists on our Radar

Jessi Robertson: A Voice for the Vulnerable

Jessi Robertson-Memory and Abandoned Parts Album Art

Jessi Robertson is a powerhouse voice that captivates you from the first note. In a world where music is often a safe place for personal expression, she stands out as a compelling voice for the vulnerable. With her vivid lyrics and haunting melodies, her over 15-year career as a musician has carved a way for herself in the folk and Americana music scene, captivating audiences with her raw honesty and emotional depth. Born in a small town in upstate New York, Robertson’s journey into music began at an early age. Robertson moved to Brooklyn in 2003, as she honed her craft, recognizing its ability to speak directly to the human experience with authenticity and sincerity. Once in BK, she released her debut album, “Small Town Girls,” in 2010, which gained much traction for its lyrics and soul-stirring melodies. Following this came her 2014 release “I Came From The War.” Throughout her career, Robertson has fearlessly tackled themes ranging from love and loss to social justice and mental health. Her most recent release, “Memory and Abandoned Parts (15-Year Anniversary Edition of Who We Are, What We Have Done)” is a re-release of her original 2008 album. She continues to push the boundaries of her artistry, as the release explores the complexities of the human condition. Robertson’s impact extends beyond the recording studio. Recognizing the power of music to effect change, she uses her platform to advocate for issues close to her heart. Whether performing at charity events or speaking out on social media, Robertson is committed to using her art as a force for good. Through her music, Robertson invites listeners to confront the complexities of the human experience with empathy and compassion, reminding us of the power of art to bridge divides and inspire change. As she continues to evolve as an artist and an advocate, one thing remains certain: Jessi Robertson’s voice will echo in the hearts and minds of listeners for years to come, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape.

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