Governors Ball 2015 is only a couple of weeks away, and today (May 20), the New York City festival announced its full hour-by-hour schedule. And, of course, with a lineup stacked with the likes of Drake, Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, The Black Keys, Deadmau5 and more, there were sure to be plenty of time conflicts.
And conflicted we are. There are only so many hours in the afternoon and evening, and well, there are some pretty trying times to come for GovBall attendees. Check out Music Times' five worst time conflicts below, and try not to stress to much about your weekend.
Florence + The Machine vs. The Decemberists: Oh, what's an indie rock favorite to do? When the day-by-day lineup of Governors Ball 2015 was announced, it was clear that Friday was the stacked day, so there were always going to be a ton of unfair matchups. Luckily for GovBall attendees, the festival maneuvered its packed first day with finesse, giving St. Vincent a half hour to herself and putting Drake and My Morning Jacket in the final slot of the night - two fan groups that are unlikely to overlap. But, anyone who loves sweeping, epic indie rock is sure to have a difficult time come 7 p.m. On one hand, The Decemberists have a new vigor in their live act thanks to the release of its self-referential new album What A Terrible World What A Beautiful World, and Colin Meloy's banter is always on point. On the other hand, Florence + The Machine will be just a few days removed from the release of its latest album How Big How Blue How Beautiful, and this could be a great chance to catch the new LP live. There's no winners or losers here.
Flume vs. SBTRKT: Fans of experimental EDM have a tough choice on Saturday, when both Flume and SBTRKT are set to perform from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Flume's live show is an explosion of color and sound, and people looking for a little bit of a reprieve in the early evening may benefit from the slightly tuned down show at the Big Apple Stage. Meanwhile, SBTRKT will be playing in the Gotham Tent, pimping the release of its latest album Wonder Where We Land. The Gotham Tent is always a crowded house, and that can be expected here, too. But, don't let that detour you - SBTRKT tapped Ezra Koenig, Jessie Ware and more for Wonder Where We Land, so there's always room for a collaboration here that would not want to be missed. What's working in Flume's favor is the fact that SBTRKT played Coachella already this year and is also due for Bonnaroo (as SPIN handily pointed out), so if you have plans to go to any of those, check out the former.
The War on Drugs vs. "Weird Al" Yankovic: What are the dads of Governors Ball supposed to do? On one hand, you have reliable festival band The War on Drugs, whose album Lost in the Dream was deemed one of 2014's best. On the other hand you have "Weird Al" Yankovic, the purveyor of the dad joke! Though The War on Drugs and Weird Al may seem like polar opposites, both these acts have a sense of timelessness and put on a killer live show, making Sunday's 5:45 to 6:45 pick a difficult one. What may make this choice easy, like Flume versus SBTRKT is whether or not you're checking out other festivals this summer. If you are, head for Weird Al because The War on Drugs is literally everywhere this year. If not, it may be worth it to avoid the overcrowded Gotham Tent for the Big Apple Stage to see The War on Drugs. Either place is sure to be a party - it all just depends on your vibes.
Hot Chip vs. Flying Lotus: The Big Apple Stage versus The Gotham Tent comes into play again on Sunday evening, as Hot Chip and Flying Lotus both begin their sets at 8 p.m. And once again, dance music fans will be in a tizzy. Hot Chip just released its latest album Why Make Sense? on May 18, so fans of that new album will get to hear new cuts like "Huarache Lights" at the Big Apple Stage. Meanwhile, Flying Lotus will be holding fort across the festival grounds, bringing the slightly more abrasive You're Dead! to the masses. If you like experimentation, this one's easy - ya go for Flying Lotus, who threw everything but the kitchen sink on its latest album. But, if you're looking for a straight party, Hot Chip is where it'll be at.
The Black Keys vs. Lana Del Rey: Sunday night is just full of conflicts, as The Black Keys and Lana Del Rey both close out the festival. The biggest bummer about this time slot is that Del Rey's Ultraviolence producer Dan Auerbach won't be joining her on guitar for "West Coast." The other bummer is... how to pick?! The Black Keys will be holding fort at the main stage, riding off the release of Turn Blue. Expect vintage blues, some crazy guitar and hopefully a little bit of snark from Patrick Carney. At the Honda Stage across Randall's Island Park, Lana Del Rey will also be bringing the vintage vibes, blasting through her atmospheric hits, making this choice notably difficult. Del Rey tours less than The Black Keys and is likely to debut new music at Governors Ball, as she's been doing on her current tour. But, The Black Keys know how to shred it. The only semblance of hope here is that The Black Keys will be playing a half hour later than Del Rey, so there's a change you can catch both with ease.
Governors Ball 2015 will take place from June 5 to 7 at Randall's Island Park in New York City.
