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Beyond Our Boroughs
All Tomorrow’s Parties New York 2010
And what costume shall the journalist wear to All Tomorrow’s Parties? (Photo: atpfestival.com)
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New York City is an amazing place to live (eight million residents can’t be wrong), but sometimes you’ve just got to leave the five boroughs and explore the rest of New York—even the dreaded “upstate”—and its surrounding areas. “Beyond Our Boroughs” is a series of escapes from NYC that are easy to get to via bus, car or train. Or plane, if you’re rich.
The Event
Named after a song by the Velvet Underground (good start), the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival was founded by Barry Hogan in 1999 as an alternative to more corporate offerings, like Reading and Glastonbury. To this date, ATP still has no corporate sponsors—and offers something no other festival does: lineups chosen by well-respected musicians and artists, such as the Flaming Lips, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Matt Groening. There’s also the “Don’t Look Back” series, in which a band plays one of their classic album in its entirety. In the past, ATP fans have heard Suicide by Suicide, Crazy Rhythms by the Feelies and Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space by Spiritualized—and that’s only over the past two years (see below for this year’s Don’t Look Back selections).
This year’s ATP NY curator is Jim Jarmusch, director of such fine films as Stranger Than Paradise and Mystery Train (and Simpsons guest star!). And he picked quite a lineup:
Friday, September 3 (Don’t Look Back)
Iggy and the Stooges performing Raw Power
Sleep performing Holy Mountain
Mudhoney performing Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles
The Scientists performing Blood Red River
Saturday, September 4
Sonic Youth, Explosions in the Sky, the Breeders, Fuck Buttons, Hallogallo 2010 (Michael Rother & Friends Present NEU! Music), Tortoise, Shellac, the Books, Bardo Pond, BEAK>, Papa M, Apse, Sleepy Sun, Fursaxa, Text of Light (feat. Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth), Avi Buffalo and Sian Alice Group
Sunday, September 5
Sunn 0))) and Boris present Altar, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, Raekwon, Girls, Fucked Up, Dungen, Wooden Shjips, The Black Angels, the Greenhornes, Vivian Girls and White Hills
Still waiting on Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ Festival, though…
The Location
Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello, New York, roughly two hours away from NYC. If you don’t own a car, there are buses leaving from Brooklyn and Manhattan (and central Philadelphia) that will make the trip. They leave at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 3, and pick-up locations can be found here. There will also be “daytripper” buses for those just visiting on Saturday or Sunday. You can purchase seats here.
The Where-to-Stay
While all accommodations at the Country Club are booked, you can still get a four-person room for $710 at the near-by Raleigh Hotel (there will be a shuttle bus from the hotel to Kutsher’s). The $710 takes care of the three nights you’ll need to be in Monticello.
The Tickets
The weekend ticket price is $250 (plus service charges); day tickets for Friday cost $110, while Saturday and Sunday go for $120. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Reason(s) You Should Go
In a world where even Broadway theaters aren’t safe from being bought by casinos, it’s refreshing to see a major event completely independent from any corporate sponsorship—especially when the “major event” is a music festival with a great lineup. ATP is beloved by both musicians (in 2008, My Bloody Valentine reunited for the first time in 16 years to play at Kutshers) and fans. And Jim Jarmusch. There will also be DJs, food vendors, bars and comedians on the country club’s ground. There’s a reason why the New York Times called last year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties “an incredible adventure in cultural escapism.” For one weekend in September in Monticello, NY, it’s all about the music.