Hoboken proved that it is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with after this past Saturday’s festivities at the Lackawanna Music Festival.
Headlined by Canada’s Tokyo Police Club, the all day affair brought along a ton of up-and-coming indie acts, including Lights Resolve, Body Language, Shinobi Ninja and Vacationer.
Lights Resolve brought the rock back to rock n’ roll. Playing relatively early in the day, they were able to capture the crowd with their high energy, even during the hottest part of the day.
Body Language was next to hit the stage after an energetic introduction by the festival’s MC, MTV’s Matt Pinfield. Playing personal favorites “Falling Out” and “Social Studies,” the band played a perfect 45 minute set full of dancing and beats.
Shinobi Ninja brought the funk with their six piece ensemble. There was absolutely no shortage of dancing both within the band and the crowd during Shinobi’s set. The combination of rap, hip-hop, and electronic music was just what everyone on the pier needed to keep their energy up as the sun kept shining.
As the sun started to set, Vacationer took the stage. There is no better band, I believe, to begin sunset than this one. Singer Kenny Vasoli asked the crowd to simply “relax and have a good time” while they begun to play some of the most fun and calming music of the night.
The night’s closer was Tokyo Police Club – a band that has never let me down when seeing them live. “Favourite Colour” and “Bambi” were standouts from the band’s set, as well as one of their most popular tracks “Your English Is Good.”
The festival was truly a success if I’ve ever seen one. The unbeatable weather with some of the most fun bands I’ve seen in a while was a perfect way to spend a Saturday day in New Jersey.
