Music Festival Day

I have been neglecting my blog lately, whether because of my work schedule or another bout of writer's block.  Well I did not fall off the face of the earth in case you were wondering, I am back and had to share my weekend in Westchester with you.

Got there early to grab a good spot. Center stage, Yay!

Saturday I soaked up the sound and the sun (slathered in SPF 45) at the Pleasantville Music Festival.  The annual event has included the likes of Jakob Dylan, The Bacon Brothers, Carney, Rusted Root and many more. This year the festival featured a variety of musicians and bands, covering a plethora of rock music genre's; folk, reggae, blues to name a few .  It was a fantastic day and the DJ's from my fav radio station 107.1 The Peak did an awesome job of introducing the acts and entertaining the crowd. Here's a quick rundown of who was there, how they sounded, and just a bit about what they wore (hey, this is a style blog). 

If But When, local band from Bronx, NY. What Guitar is the singer playing, got to know?

I went to see bands that I have heard and liked, but there is always the hope that I will find my next favorite group.  If But When was that group. I was drawn in by their lovely layered harmonies, the bittersweet lyrics and the driving beats.  They have a sound that's hard to describe; a mix of new-wave piano a la New Order and good old fashioned 90's rock guitar.  They have a myspace music page you can check out here.  Give it a listen and see if you can help flesh out my description. I highly recommend the melancholy longing of "Me and Patsy Cline".

Scars on 45, drew the crowd up to the stage.

Have a bit of a style crush on Aimee with her rocker T and cute bangs.  Way to stay cool on a hot day.

Also performing that day, my new favorite band Scars on 45. I got to attend an in studio performance by Scars hosted by the local radio station a couple of months ago.  Their sound combines rhythmic piano melodies, smooth beats, earnest lyrics and the sweet vocal harmonies of lead vocalists Danny and Aimee. Since then I have been addicted to their EP and I am looking forward to their full album release in September.  Their current single "Give Me Something" has hit the airwaves, so maybe you have heard it, if not give their EP a listen on the website.  If you sign up to receive e-mail updates from Scars on 45 they will send you a link to a free song download.

Augustana tuning up, and the huge crowd around the stage.  

I climbed over anyone one in my way just to get you all a picture.  Kidding, thank you zoom lens.

Augustana followed Scars on 45 with a solidly (I'm just make up words now) awesome and rocking set.  I know that the band is probably most known for their piano ballad "Boston", but it's their guitar led songs that I love.  They started their set with singles from previous records "All the Stars and Boulevards", "Sweet and Low" and a guitar driven version of "Fire".  I loved the slow build of their rock anthem "Steal Your Heart".  Another favorite from their set was the insanely catchy (in a good way) "Shot in the Dark".  Preview Augustana's new self titled album on their Myspace page.

Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea at the Pleasantville Music Festival. 

I love the lace dress over the black slip, combined with the cat eye glasses + black boots = style perfection.

Nicole Atkins brought her guitar, her introspective lyrics and her band, The Black Sea.  The band brought their hard edge blues/rock (hard to describe, help!) sound. I really loved her voice, at moments soft and vulnerable and at others a full on wail of a powerhouse vocalist.  The entire set was upbeat and kept the crowd moving.  Her current album Mondo Amore is available for download, you can also preview tracks here.

Lastly I wanted to share what I wore. I knew most of the day would be spent outdoors in the sun so I had some practical choices to make ( sorry no four inch heels).  One, I knew it was going to be sunny, so while I had sunscreen I used my accessories; hat, scarf, sunglasses to help block the rays.  The scarf, Banana Republic, was worn as a shawl most of the day and saved my shoulders from being fried, while still letting me keep cool in a tank top. The hat by Columbia Sportswear was a life saver, it has a UPF of 50, combined with sunscreen applications all day it kept my nose from looking like a tomato. The pants and top both from Ann Taylor Loft, kept me looking crisp and cool in breathable, lightweight cotton.  Again the accessories are what make the outfit, otherwise I'm wearing pretty basic pieces.  While all the sun gear helped, I also sought out the shade tent provided by the Pleasantville Music Festival between sets (big, big thank you from a pale gal Irish gal).

Hat; Columbia Sportswear, Sunnies; DKNY, Scarf; Banana Republic, Tank and Pants; Loft, Sandals; Clarks, Bag; LeSportsac.

My partner in crime (just an expression, no crimes were committed) for the day was my mom, thanks mom!

That's all for this post! Write to your soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading this post (I know I wrote a lot) I can get pretty wordy.
Has anybody made it to an outdoor concert this summer?  What did you wear to get you through the day?

Best,

Jennifer