Panorama returned for its second year, bringing a massive crowd to Randall’s Island for a maze of interactive tech installations, a trippy video dome, food vendors, a pop-up record store by Rough Trade, a ball pit by Macy’s(?), and, oh yeah, an eclectic array of live music. This year’s headliners ran the gamut from soulful crooners Frank Ocean and Solange on Friday to dance-rock heavies Tame Impala on Saturday to Lollapalooza throwbacks A Tribe Called Quest and Nine Inch Nails on Sunday. In between, highlights included Alt-J with an awesome stage show, French electronic rock duo Justice with a set that blew the power out Beyonce Super Bowl-style, and the Parlor stage, which brought bone-rattling Funktion-1 sound to New York dance acts like Tim Sweeney and Mister Saturday Night.
On Sunday, a rumor started spreading that Nine Inch Nails would be playing a secret show at Webster Hall tonight. It turned out to be true– but the show sold out immediately after it was announced this morning, leaving NIN fans wanting something they can never have. Not that it matters to anyone who saw the band last night– they were razor-sharp, pumping out plenty of older bangers amidst a handful of songs from their recent EPs. Halfway into the set, a fit, black-clad Trent Reznor recalled how he had agreed to do Panorama several months ago. “I think every minute since then has been filled with anxiety leading up to this moment right here,” he said, going on to introduce a cover of “I Can’t Give Everything Away,” one of the last songs written by Reznor’s “good friend” David Bowie, who “meant the world to us musically and as a person.” The rendition was a somber counterpart to the rousing second-line tribute Arcade Fire did at last year’s Panorama.
The loss of Bowie wasn’t the only one that weighed heavy this past weekend. Tribe paid tribute to Phife Dawg, the founding member who died last year, with an a cappella rendition of “Butter.”
Click through our slideshow to see more highlights.