Ghostland Observatory

I had never even heard of the Ghostland Observatory until the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco on last Saturday, but from their infectious synth production and lively vocals I instantly became intrigued on whom this duo from Austin, Texas was. Aaron Behrons (the vocalist) and Thomas Turner (the producer) are the masterminds behind their debut LP, "Paparazzi Lightning." It's very rare that I listen to an electronic-infused LP and feel that it is only fitting that I get my ass up and dance! I'm not even halfway through the LP yet, and it is slowly becoming an album that I know for sure will be receiving heavy rotation from me. Something that you rarely find amongst singers is that they sound totally different live than they do on their albums, but with Behrons, this was not an issue. He sounded just as great in San Francisco as he did on the album. I didn't get a chance to see them because I was backstage for the most part of their performance, but I know that now next time I see the Ghostland posters being posted for their next performance here in the Bay Area that I will be front row taking in all the great music that this duo both produce together. From the city that highlights the South By Southwest Festival every year, Austin, Texas did a great job in producing this group, the Ghostland Observatory.

Ghostland Observatory's performance at SXSW

Treasure Island Music Fest

It's very simple, people. I work for a pretty popular underground hip hop group, and I got to hang out backstage at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, California yesterday. All day I was sitting backstage at this festival running into many independent artists, bands, and groups. Just to name a few: Thievery Corporation, Ghostland Observatory, Honeycut, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, Kid Beyond, Zion I, M.I.A., etc. From looking at the line-up yesterday, I knew maybe only 3 artists on the bill out of like 15. But, I think that it was a great thing because I got to discover many new artists and bands that put on one hella great show. In the middle of Zion I's set, the power went out on the stage for like 3 minutes, but they pulled it together to keep the crowd excited. I had a great time out there in windy ass San Francisco! Amazing how being on the water on Treasure Island, there's a huge degree of wind coming off the water. It was cold as hell out there earlier in the day, warmed up for maybe 2 hours around 2pm, then went back to being chilly again around 5pm. But other than that, sitting in the VIP stands and looking at the stage and crowd going nuts over the artists and bands was sick. Then, seeing the background of beach, ocean, and the cityscape of Frisco was truly a reminder of how beautiful and blessed we all are to live in the Bay Area. Well, not all of us. LOL.