The Siren Music Festival Sounds the Alarm in Coney Island

Richie Adomako / July 24, 2009

Take a calm sunny Saturday, add a bit of breeze, throw in an amusement park with an eclectic lineup of live music and you’ve got the 2009 Siren Music Festival. With acts back to back on two stages, it was tough to pick which to catch. Our day started with Future of the Left and Grand Duchy, but the true heart thumping moments of the live performances certainly goes to the Raveonettes. Good music, vocals and instrumentals can send a chill down the spine, but when an artist hits the right note, you can almost feel it right in your chest. Several moments during their set, the crowd was not only appeased with the well-fashioned Raveonettes, but they listened as if struck with awe. With harmony and electro combined with a hollow beach sound, the Raveonettes merge noise and effects with guitars scratching to solid beats – all to the tune of a jarring step that creates a melody synchronous to fluid motion. Seeing them perform live takes their songs to the umpteenth level.

Despite the variety of genres at the festival, the acts were well orchestrated – picking up momentum as the day went along and  exploding with Spank Rock. With a party on stage and rhymes like the Cool Kids on steroids, Spank Rock certainly knows how to set a crowd loose with their Baltimore club beats. With the inclusion of  Reverend McFly from Ninja Sonik and Amanda Blank, the upbeat performances took on a Rap/Electro infusion with two DJs, congas, drums and a cowbell – because one can never have enough cowbells. With DJ battles, rhymes and a packed stage, there was a lot of energy driven by moments like Amanda Blank, herself, going on all fours and pounding the floor as she performed “might like you better.” At the end of their set Spank Rock had the audience begging and chanting for more.

Though we missed the Monotonix,  there’s been an overall approval of their ambitious act - playing  ’a fair amount of time‘ while crowd surfing.  As Coney Island quarrels with its makeover, we look forward to  the 2010 Siren Festival and the line-up to come.

Click here for photos from the festival by Kenroy George.