More Pics From All Tomorrow's Parties

I just got back from New York and I'll have more about ATP in my column tomorrow, but I thought I'd toss up a few more photos in the meantime.

Honestly, my experience at this festival was so mind-blowing and rewarding, I don't think I'll ever feel the need to go to SXSW again. I'm just going to save my pennies and eardrums for ATP every year. Imagine 3 days of utterly amazing bands, kooky David Lynchian ambience (courtesy of the questionably maintained Kutsher's Country Resort), zero corporate sponsorship presence, and a manageable, like-minded and generally well-behaved crowd of only 3,000 people. Plus and all-night poker game featuring Steve Albini as the house dealer. Jesus.

If I was independently wealthy, I'd make plans right this minute to fly to England in December to catch the Melvins-curated edition of ATP, featuring Fantomas, Isis, Torche, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, the Butthole Surfers, the Dirtbombs, Mark Lanegan, Big Business, Monotonix, and a zillion other exceptional bands. In lieu of that, I'm just going to sit quietly at home, catch up on writing and my 900 unanswered emails, and hope that someday I'm lucky enough to have another live music experience as phenomenal as this weekend. If you ever have an opportunity to go to ATP, beg, borrow, steal, sell plasma...whatever you have to do. It's pretty much heaven for the right kind of music fan.

All photos by JJ Wandler.

My Bloody Valentine (in case you were wondering, the sum total of pedals Kevin Shields was using was a mere 30):

The hallway leading to the mainstage, which always made me think of The Shining:

Just one of many weird little side rooms throughout the resort (you can see other pics of the piano room and cocktail lounge over here):

The make-up counter, where a woman who could easily pass for Amy Winehouse's grandmother conducted "free make-up shows!" every day:

Mogwai (unfortunately, drummer Martin Bulloch was rushed to the hospital right after this set because of complications with his pacemaker; he's on the mend, but the rest of their tour dates have been cancelled):

Finally, I leave you with the "Teenareena".

What is it? Fuck if I know, but I presume it was a hotbed of adolescent mischief at some point in the '60s: