If there’s one thing I consistently endorse, it’s the power of a music festival. You get the best bang for your buck by having the opportunity to see dozens of artists all for the price of one weekend pass…and you get the chance to find your next favorite artist.
At their core, music festivals are relatively the same — overpriced drinks, under-seasoned food options, more overpriced drinks, and, without a doubt, an overflowing port-a-potty or two. You’ll walk at least 10,000 steps per day, your feet will be screaming for help at the end of the night, and your willpower will for sure be tested.
From Sea.Hear.Now in New Jersey to Coachella in California, festivals are a little hellish. But they’re incredible. All of these Survivor-esque factors make music festivals fun because you’re all struggling together…but the music makes it worth it.
And this past weekend, thousands flocked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York to see the iconic East Coast festival: Gov Ball. If you’re from the Tri-State area, it’s a guarantee that you or someone you know has attended the Governor’s Ball at least once.
Yet, many warned me that Gov Ball was not what it used to be. However, I wasn’t going to resist such a star-studded lineup. Not only were headliners powerhouses like Post Malone, The Killers, and SZA…but the supporting acts were just as tempting: Sabrina Carpenter, Renee Rapp, and Chappell Roan were some of the names to watch.
So I put on my comfiest sneakers, and I went to Gov Ball 2024. And the big secret of it all is that I had a blast.
The Best Performances At Gov Ball 2024
The Killers
@hangrymarn this performance was to die for @The Killers @govballnyc #GovBall #GovBallNYC #MusicFestival #TheKillers #LiveMusic #SummerVibes #ConcertClip #NYCMusic #FestivalSeason ♬ original sound – marn
Brandon Flowers — lead singer of The Killers — declared them “the purveyors of some of the finest rock and roll music” and I can’t say I disagree. Whenever I see The Killers, I’m entranced.
Whether it’s their gospel church-inspired set, with background vocalists, cries of “can I get an AMEN?”, and a minutes-long chant of “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier”…The Killers set is always spiritual.
They play a plethora of their hits from albums like Hot Fuss — where you get instant classics like “Somebody Told Me”, “Mr. Brightside”, and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” You get newer songs like “Caution” and you come away convinced that rock and roll will never die.
Renee Rapp
@sillyblonderenee “not to much on the theatre kids bc they can sing, they can sing” AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID. thats how u do gov ball! #reneerapp #govball #reneerappsupremacy #inthekitchen #fangirl #theatrekid ♬ original sound – M
By far the finest vocalist at the festival was Renee Rapp, who is on her Snow Hard Feelings tour. Rapp has had a blockbuster few years, with her show Sex Lives of College Girls, and playing Regina George in the Mean Girls reboot. Songs like “In The Kitchen” and “Pretty Girls” went viral on TikTok.
With a similar stage presence to Billie Eilish, Renee Rapp donned baggy clothes and sunglasses. She crawled around stage, stared longingly into the camera as she sang, and bent forwards and backward up and down the catwalk.
But what really comes through is her voice. She can belt a ballad with the best of them — powerhouses like Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato, and Adele. She touches your soul with heartbreaking lyrics, and cracks you up with quips like “I wish this song weren’t written about a man, either.”
If you get the chance to see her live, go.
Chappell Roan
They need to study the rapid rise of Chappell Roan in the history books. She’s instantaneously synonymous with LGBTQ music icons like Lady Gaga. Her album, Rise and Fall of a Midwest Person, was originally a favorite of TikTok users…but quickly zipped up the charts.
Her Coachella performance played to a packed tent at full capacity…so there was high anticipation for her Gov Ball mainstage performance. She starts the show by entering in an apple, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, smoking a huge joint — which is the epitome of Chappell Roan.
Roan and her all-female band were captivating from start to finish. With Chappell’s dramatic flare and her band’s ability to absolutely rock out, the whole crowd was entranced by Chappell…including myself.
Sabrina Carpenter
Another rapidly rising star is Sabrina Carpenter. She opened for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour and also had a major Coachella performance. She’s seen chart-topping success with both “Espresso” and now “Please, Please, Please,” and let’s not forget her newly hard-launched relationship with Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan.
Ever since her love triangle with Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, Carpenter’s love life has been a major topic of conversation…and inspired much of the emails I can’t send album. Gearing up for her latest era, with millions more monthly streamers, Carpenter has all the star power of the next big pop princess.
She mashed up songs like The Cardigans’ “Lovefool” and her own “Feather”, she belted “because i liked a boy”, and of course sang “Please, Please, Please” for the first time. Big dance breaks, amazing vocal runs, and her quick wit make Sabrina a must-see.
Post Malone
Post Malone’s set provided one of the lighter moments of the festival when he brought up two individual audience members to perform his ballad, “Stay”, together. If you’re familiar with the song, you know it’s a beautifully haunting slow song.
So, of course, he brings a guitarist — who does fine — and a girl to sing with him. Normally, you’d expect the person who offers to join a famous headliner onstage to be able to sing..so when this girl failed to hit the first note, the crowd knew we were in for a treat.
However, Post Malone sang along and remained professional. Of course, he’s a great performer himself, but this alone lands him a gold star.
How To Have The Best Gov Ball Experience
@govballnyc soaring over the packed crowd @chappell roan 🗽🍷🔥 #govballnyc #govball 🎥 @colin fpv ♬ original sound – govballnyc
Although you’re encouraged not to drive to Gov Ball, I live 40 minutes away and am a public transportation hater. After a few arduous bouts with the subway and buses, I needed to drive there on Sunday or my body would revolt.
Luckily, there was parking available at Citi Field and right next to where the subway drops commuters off. If you’re brave enough to take a ride-share service, I’d recommend leaving at an off-time where you won’t hit traffic from festival-goers or New York City partiers.
If you can afford it, I’d say VIP made my experience 1000x better. It gets you a guaranteed front-row view of the stage and you won’t feel claustrophobic or have to shove fellow audience members out of your way. There are plenty of areas to sit and relax while watching the show, which is something GA doesn’t provide.
However, the food options were quite limited in the VIP areas. So I tried my luck in the GA food vendor areas and ended up waiting for 20 minutes in endless lines. But what did truly saved the weekend was the private bathroom and bar options to avoid those long lines.
Overall, Gov Ball was so much better than anticipated…and I look forward to next year.
