The Governors Ball Day Three Recap

Source: The Brooklyn Vegan

After two intense days, we decided to take day three a little more casually. This proved a hard plan to follow after watching Banks perform. Taking the stage dressed entirely in black, her clothes more similar to that of an ancient priestess than that of your traditional R&B singer, Banks commanded the audience immediately with her stage presence, at least while she was singing. In between songs though, Banks' personality seemed to shift entirely, morphing from an explosive force during songs such as "Brain", to a timid and reserved individual. I think it's this dichotomy that makes her so alluring and identifiable; while she sings she is what everyone can aspire to be at their strongest, but once she stops, she is just as vulnerable as most people feel on a day to day basis.

The final act we took in was England's James Blake. While it was bittersweet to reach the end of our 2014 The Governors Ball experience, ending it with James Blake couldn't have been a more fitting end. Playing his mix of R&B, post-dubstep and electronic music, all while the sun set behind him and his band, Blake played one of the best hours of the entire festival. The highlight of his set though had to be a tie between his cover of Bill Withers' "Hope She'll Be Happier" or "Measurements," a song which relies heavily on James Blake looping his own voice live, an experience that required complete silence from the audience. After a couple of attempts, James Blake was finally given the quiet he deserved and finished the song, and left after a simple bow to the audience.