Stark Goes Poolside

Ok, so it wasn't McCarren. We knew it was going to be different. Yesterday, Stark ventured to the Williamsburg Waterfront to the first "pool" party of the year hosted by Jelly NYC. Our outing served less as a concert experience and more as a referendum on the new operation in place after the unfortunate reclaiming of the original McCaren Pool site. For the most part, Jelly nailed it. There were familiar vestiges from McCarren (Dodgeball) and some unfortunate new additions (fenced in beer corral). While the drinking area was limited to the sidelines, the sight lines from the lower portion of the beer cage, and from the VIP area were clear. Coupled with the warm salt breeze off the river, the advent of large portions of grass and the NYC skyline as the backdrop of the stage, you really couldn't ask for a better place to spend an afternoon. Of course, the new location doesn't hold the same rustic charm of the old McCarren, yet it does well and provided us with a damn fine Sunday.

We weren't massive fans of the artists yesterday (Fucked Up, Mission of Burma, Ponytail and Jemina Pearl) but next week features the stacked line-up of Dirty Projectors, Magnolia Electric Co and Crystal Antlers (White Denim replacement). Out of the bunch, we GUESS Ponytail was the best. * We missed Jemina. Instrumentally Ponytail are a great band, and their songs are tight - but we're sorry, we know how much everyone loves her - Molly just gets annoying and always seems in the way of the songs. Sorry kids, it's just not our bag. Until next weekend, we sign off, sun-tinged, a little hungover and tired. Photos of the fun after the jump.