Spinning Platters Interview: Niki Bodemann of Noise Pop

This year marks the 26th year that the Noise Pop Festival debuted at The Kennel Club (now The Independent). Since then, it’s grown to become one of the primary tastemaking music festivals in the world! Past performers that have broken shortly after their Noise Pop debut have included The White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Tash Sultana, Vince Staples, and many, many more. Spinning Platters recently got to speak to Niki Bodemann, one of the bookers of the festival to talk about what it takes to make a week of music that even frustrates the most decisive music fan.

Festival badges, single show tickets, and a full schedule can be found here!

Spinning Platters: How long have you been booking for Noise Pop?

Niki Bodemann: So, I have been a full-time talent buyer at Noise Pop for like a year and three months now. Then before that, I was an assistant talent buyer. So, I would like help with the support bookings like all the openers on our shows and stuff um, but like booking actual headliners and stuff. Uh, it’s been a little over a year, yeah. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Niki Bodemann of Noise Pop”

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 Journal

The Treasure Island Music Festival has, historically, been the last hurrah of summer. Taking place in the middle of October (or late September), it’s usually sunny and a great way to let go of the carefree warm months, before we all have to buckle to the stress of the holiday season.

Sadly, they had to take 2017 off. Even sadder was that, due to maintenance on the island, Treasure Island, for the first time, had to move from its namesake venue. We ended up drifting east a few knots to the shores of Oakland, to a beach in the middle of West Oakland’s warehouse district called Middle Harbor Park. Continue reading “Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 Journal”

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 1

Photos by Paige Parsons unless otherwise noted
All photos by Paige K. Parsons unless otherwise noted.

For 10 years, the Treasure Island Music Festival has been one of the best-run and best-booked music festivals in the world. Situated on Treasure Island’s west lawn, we got to experience picturesque views of San Francisco, along with some of the best weather and some of the most innovative performers of our time, often just before breaking out to the mainstream. For 9 of those 10 years, everything went off pretty much perfectly; this year, however, mother nature decided that things were going a little TOO well for the festival, and it was time to see how the good people of Noise Pop and Another Planet would handle, well, everything she’s got. In my own humble opinion, they handled it rather nicely, and the 10th year was, once again, extraordinary.

Continue reading “Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 1”

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 2

Photos by Paige Parsons unless otherwise noted
Photos by Paige K. Parsons unless otherwise noted

Day two of Treasure Island started out significantly easier. The winds were calm, and only light sprinkles were on the horizon. Still, I think people were a little nervous about the weather (Or simply stayed out partying late the night before), as when I arrived at 11:30 am on Sunday, the park looked pretty deserted. However, the ferris wheel was up and running, and the coffee line was short, so it made for a very good morning for me.

Continue reading “Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 2”

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2016)

timf-map-590x453This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes. And if you just found this article while looking for a place to buy tickets, just click here! (Updated for 2016 by Dakin Hardwick)

Continue reading “The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2016)”

Spinning Platters Interview: Jordan Kurland of Treasure Island Music Festival, Noise Pop, and Zeitgeist Management

Photo by Andrew Paynter
Photo by Andrew Paynter

Jordan Kurland has been influential within the Bay Area music scene for over two decades. He helped make Noise Pop a major music festival, and is one of the masterminds behind the Treasure Island Music Festival, currently heading into it’s 10th year. As one of the primary forces behind the mainstream acceptance of Indie Rock, you probably owe about half of your record collection to him. Spinning Platters had the opportunity to talk to this legend about how to book a great festival, the future of Treasure Island Music Festival, and a bit about the new ways bands are getting creative with drumming up revenue.

FYI, Treasure Island Music Festival is October 15th and 16th, and tickets are on sale NOW! Also, Noise Pop 2017 (the 25th year!) Super Fan Badges, went on sale today, and are moving fast. These include admission to 25 shows in the months leading up to next year’s festival, in addition to the entirety of Noise Pop 2017.  You can buy this here!

It seems that this is the last year that TIMF is happening on Treasure Island. What is the future of TIMF? Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Jordan Kurland of Treasure Island Music Festival, Noise Pop, and Zeitgeist Management”

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2015)

A Treasure Island sunset, courtesy of Kelly Hoffer
A Treasure Island sunset, courtesy of Kelly Hoffer

This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes. (Updated for 2015 by Dakin Hardwick)

Continue reading “The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2015)”

Treasure Island Festival Diary 2014, Day 1

All Photos by Kelly Hoffer
All Photos by Kelly Hoffer. She’s got a bunch more on her Flickr page.

Treasure Island Music Festival is always a good time. This year marks what may have been the biggest year ever for the event! Outkast are, arguably, the biggest name to ever play this event. It was also a blissfully sunny weekend, with temperatures staying in the low 70’s with just a subtle breeze throughout the affair. And, despite some of the biggest crowds ever, the event never felt “too crowded.”

So good. Continue reading “Treasure Island Festival Diary 2014, Day 1”

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2014)

A Treasure Island sunset, courtesy of Kelly Hoffer
A Treasure Island sunset, courtesy of Kelly Hoffer

This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes.

Continue reading “The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2014)”

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2012)

The view from the ferris wheel, courtesy Flikr user tumburre.

(This post is actually from 2009. Our esteemed Editor In Chief, Gordon Elgart, wrote it. But he’s lame and not coming out this year. So I, Dakin Hardwick, have made a few tweaks for this year’s festival guide. Not many, however, because when you put on the best music festival in California, you don’t need to make too many changes every year.)

This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable. Set times are up, but, seriously, you should just expect to be there from morning til night, because it would be foolish not to.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes.

Continue reading “The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2012)”