This weekend, music fans from New York City and beyond took shuttle busses, ferries, and bridge footpaths to reach Randall's Island for the second annual Panorama Music Festival. Thanks to American Express and the American Express Experience installation at the festival, Complex was right in the middle of it all.
Here are the five best things that we saw at this year’s Panorama festival.
Tyler, the Creator’s Energetic Set
You can always count on Tyler to bring insane levels of energy to his performances, and the crowd gives it right back in return. He played new Flower Boy cuts like “Boredom” and “Who Dat Boy,” and even though the album is less than a month old, the crowd seemed to know every word (and was happy to scream each one). Older favorites like "Yonkers" and “Deathcamp” rang off too.
Tyler, The Creator at Panorama 2017📍// 📸: @HiDeexDee pic.twitter.com/C686GqyoJP
Solange Stuns with Sunset Performance
Right as the sun was setting on Randall’s Island, Solange took the stage and opened with “Rise,” with her entire band joining her on stage. She delivered an incredibly soulful performance, with color coordinated outfits and simple but effective choreography.
Frank Ocean’s Headlining Set
It’s safe to say the entire crowd was mesmerized by Frank Ocean’s highly-anticipated return to New York. His setlist leaned heavily on Blonde, but made time for selections from Endless and the Channel Orange throwback “Thinkin’ Bout You.” The set was intimate as he performed on a small stage set up in the middle of the crowd, getting everybody deeper into their feels than they already were.
Vince Staples Brings the Bass in Full Force
You could feel the bass in your guts during Vince Staples’ passionate performance on the second day of Panorama. The ground was literally vibrating as Staples delivered “Big Fish,” “Lemme Know,” and plenty of other high-impact bangers.
A Tribe Called Quest’s Last NYC Performance
When ATCQ performed at FYF Fest earlier in July, they announced it would be their last show in L.A. Naturally, the NYC crowd was expecting a similar announcement and they got it. Q-Tip announced it would be their last show in NYC and went on to deliver a passionate set including “We the People,” “Buggin’ Out,” and more. #RIPPhife.
