2018 Governors Ball: Women of the Undercard
Over the weekend, Governors Ball returned to Randall’s Island in New York City for its eighth year. It is one of the longest-running festivals in the tri-state area. This year’s headliners were Jack White, Travis Scott, and Eminem, but it was the ladies of the undercard that held it down on the island.
Back in January, when Governors Ball and Firefly Music Festival revealed their summer lineups, Halsey, who performed at Gov Ball this year, was quick to call out the lack of female representation in their lineups. “Where the women at,” she wrote on Twitter, hawking at Firefly. “It’s 2018; do better!!!”
Here are our marquee-worthy female call-outs of the weekend.
Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It may be five years since YYY last put out an album, but they certainly had die-hard fans waiting for them behind the barricade. Karen O is an absolute force to be reckoned with. She came out to let you know that they are still here, and they aren’t missing a beat. Before the end of their set she connected with the crowd on a personal level. She got down from the stage and walked along the entire barricade, handing the microphone to let as many fans as possible to the assist her in singing the ooh’s of “Cheated Hearts.” You could feel the love in the air. Prior to performing their biggest hit to date, “Maps,” Karen O dedicated the song to all the lovers in the crowd. After the song ended, she took the mic and pressed it against her chest where her heart is as a gesture for the audience to hear her heartbeat.
Billie Eilish
This silver-haired Los Angeles native had the crowd showing up early Sunday to catch her 2:15 pm set on the American Eagle stage. The crowd is compiled of fans from the full age spectrum, and they absolutely roar as she makes her way to the front of the stage sporting bright orange sweatpants and a blue Affliction shirt, all of which is oversized on the tiny singer. Eilish delivers soul and attitude right from the get. The 16-year-old songstress is nothing short of mystical. When she enters a room, all eyes are fixated on her, and the crowd swoons.
Margo Price
This Nashville-based Americana country singer and songwriter performed to a medium-sized crowd on the Bacardi stage around 4:00 pm on Sunday. She is a tattooed beauty who performs her music as if the songs are memoirs to the tribulations of her own life, which they are. Her lyrics encompass everything about losing her identity as she struggled through years with men and alcohol, her father’s loss of the family farm, the years spent trying to make it in Nashville, and even losing a child. She has been self-releasing music since 2003, but in 2016 she signed with Jack White’s label Third Man Records.
Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso
Sylvan Esso is an American electronic pop duo from Durham, North Carolina, that played on the Bacardi stage for a sunset time on the final day of the festival. The band consists of singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn. Amelia is as charming as they come. She radiates the stage with her acrobatic dance moves, striking attitude, and dreamy voice. It’s rough around the edges and soothing all at once. Their music is the type of stuff that makes your body move and your heart swell and allows you to be completely uninhibited and vulnerable. So, that’s what we did.
Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES
CHVRCHES (pronounced Churches) mostly derives from the synthpop genre, but they also incorporate indietronica, indie pop, and electronic dance into their sound. Lauren‘s voice is bigger than her body. She looks like a petite goth princess on stage with a sheer black skirt over black shorts and tank top on the main Governors Ball stage. She dances around the stage, whipping her hair as the performs her melodic hits “The Mother We Share” and “Bury It.” The crowd sings every word in unison, and it’s magic.
