Festival Recap: GovBall Day 2
Words by Carson Huffer
Doechii by Josh Sobel
Day two of Gov Ball brought out a major highlight of the weekend in the illustrious swamp princess Doechii. A decked out stage with an adorable trailer home setup, Doechii dominated the crowd with a non-stop electrifying set. Listening to Doechii’s discography feels like a stroll through every genre of hip hop, and her live set easily became a full class of style for the uninitiated to bounce around to and learn. With shoutouts to the gays for pride month, a preview of the unreleased track “Sweat”, and vibrant jokes about herself being a theatre kid, Doechii dominated Gov Ball with her infectious energy and was easily my favorite set of the weekend.
Sabrina Carpenter by Paigge Warton
Unsurprisingly, the next set we caught saw Sabrina Carpenter bring nearly a headlining crowd out at midday to the GOVBALLNYC Stage. Complete with a suite of dancers twirling around the stage and vibrant costuming and production, this set made Carpenter feel less like a singer and more like a full blown multihyphenate pop star. Carpenter’s recent success has only grown through the viral hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, the latter of which saw its live debut while on the Gov Ball stage. While I’ve seen Sabrina multiple times within the last year, there was something truly groundbreaking about the most recent iteration of her show. She feels comfortable and confident, basking in the warm glow of the starlight that has been long overdue. I couldn’t get enough of her, and neither could the crowd as they seemed to beg for more by the end of her set. With the two lead singles promising greatness for her new album out in August, we can’t wait for more of Sabrina.
Over on the IHG Stage we caught the breezy indie rock band Hippo Campus in the evening sun. Through the sea of twenty-somethings holding IPAs and rocking back and forth to “Buttercup”, it almost felt like the true beginning of summer was being ushered in with each strum on the guitar. Some of the loudest cheers I heard all weekend came during the various trumpet features across the set, and the energy between crowd and band felt incredibly synergetic.
Next to the main stage came pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen. Jepsen’s set felt like a flurry of energy and excitement in shining neon lights, offering the crowd all the glitz and sparkle of her most recent work in its full glory. Carly dominated the crowd from beginning to end, honing in on her years of experience to claim her renewed stardom on stage with ease. I found myself jumping along with the sea of people around me during “Call Me Maybe” in what felt like a genuine release of pure joy that was unmatched throughout the rest of the weekend.
The Killers by Phelps
The IHG Stage next saw TV Girl on a vibrant tear through their hits with much of the same crowd as the previous Hippo Campus set. As this stage was intelligently aligned for the genre, everyone by the TV Girl set felt very comfortable and seemed to be making friends left and right – making the bouncy and joyous trip of the actual TV Girl set even more fun. The backup singers admittedly stole my attention due to their angelic harmonies but every single piece of the band on stage absolutely crushed the set in both talent and vibe.
Day two closed out with the incomparable headlining act of The Killers. Explosive and just as youthful as ever, the band reminded New York City just why The Killers are still regarded as some of the best in the game. The sea of fans that filled Flushing Meadows Corona Park couldn’t get enough of the explosive set, ricocheting through the band’s prophetic catalog with blinding speed and deafening cheers. I’ve caught a lot of festival headlining sets, but there truly was just something special about seeing The Killers in what feels to be their prime, even all these years into their storied career.