Multiple, musical modalities were the hallmark of the recent inaugural Catalpa Music Festival. A range of bands performed an array of genres and on offer was something for everyone including rock, retro, reggae, R & B–and rain! Fittingly, the 2-day festival played out on Randall’s Island, where multitudes of people have gathered over the years for a variety of events. The former site of Downing Stadium (now replaced by the current Icahn Stadium), home to not only sporting events but huge music festivals including the legendary three-day New York Pop Festival of 1970 where Steppenwolf, Grand Funk Railroad and Jimi Hendrix performed, this small oasis a stone’s throw from the upper East side of Manhattan has also been known on occasion to host Cirque du Soleil under a big top.
Sold to the city of New York for $60,000 in 1835, eventually it was decided that Randall’s Island would be used only for recreational purposes. Today as part of New York City’s Parks & Recreation department, city dwellers often seek refuge here where ball fields, playgrounds and running tracks are in demand, especially in summer. Historically, the former Downing Stadium was the scene of some unforgettable sporting events like Jesse Owens’s victory in the 1936 Olympic Trials and the American debut of soccer star Pele with the New York Cosmos in 1974. A highlight at the entrance to the island in a landscaped triangle is The Discus Thrower, a bronze statue by Greek sculptor Kostas Dimitriadis, which had previously guarded Downing Stadium from 1936 until the 1970’s. These days, Randall’s Island Park, an open air mash-up of island vibe and urban skyline, made a conducive venue for the ultimate summer music festival. Despite some downpour the Catalpa fans’ spirits could not be dampened. Over two days a roster of musicians played across three stages with The Black Keys and Snoop Dogg headlining.
The Black Keys, ever the consummate performers, were definitely in command of the crowd. Their playlist consisted of a number of songs suitable for singing along that kept the audience engaged. Though the Keys’ Pat Carney and Dan Auerbach stuck mostly to crowd pleasers from their last two albums, a couple of tracks from the Chulahoma EP, covers of Junior Kimbrough tunes, definitely appealed to Keys fans. The Hasidic reggae singer, Matisyahu, performed sans yarmulke, side curls and beard. Matthew Paul Miller, as he’s now known, first became popular in 2004. Eight years later the singer’s wardrobe, like his name, has transformed. The Orthodox threads are gone, replaced with a secularized ensemble of denim jacket and Nikes.
Brooklyn’s own TV On the Radio rocked the crowds with singer Tunde Adebimpe leading his band through their opener “Young Liars” followed by songs from their two recent releases. Hercules and Love Affair performed their signature disco-house featuring Gustaph and Whitney Marston Pierce–a scantily-clad, busty blonde with a Burlesque bent who held the audience captive with her sexual gyrations. Matt Johnson and Kim Schilfino played keyboard driven dance-pop in between some high octane acrobatics that inspired the audience to engage in some mad dancing interspersed with cheering, shouting, stomping and general carrying-on. Musical alchemist, Araabmuzik‘s bass-heavy creations involved an intricate DNA of rap, trance and R&B. His set whipped the crowd into frenzy with Flux Pavilion’s “I Can’t Stop” and Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock.
Girl Talk sampled familiar singles for the crowd, with the music maestro, Gregg Gillis, creating dance music using whatever it takes – from current rap hooks to pop tunes from long ago. Girl Talk intuits what makes people want to move by capitalizing on old favorites with new twists. Snoop Dogg, played the entirety of his 1993 Doggystyle that included his rap classics, “Murder Was the Case That They Gave Me,” and “Stranded on Death Row,” that originated from Dr. Dre’s The Chronic. Some soft-porn videos accompanied Snoop’s set which was to be expected. The Dogg father’s major role in keeping G funk alive and well after nearly three decades was not lost on the adoring crowd.
Catalpa has now added its own colorful contribution to Randall’s Island’s storied history. Toward the end of the second and final night of the festival when Snoop was nearing the end of his set, he performed some new songs, including “Drop it Like it’s Hot,” and “Young, Wild, And Free.” From the latter, people picked up on the memorable lines,
“So what, we get drunk
So what, we smoke weed
So what, we have fun
We’re young, wild and free.”
As the crowd repeated the words like a mantra, the sentiment wafted over the energetic audience on this isle off the coast of Manhattan that seemed a million miles away from the urban angst and corporate conspiracy that’s known to engulf it. For those few moments, as Catalpa was winding down, the inhabitants of this counter culture could feel their connection with each other and all the other previous participants past on this small but mighty island.