[In case you missed it …] Saturday July 14th was Bastille Day. It was also the day that New York’s second annual free all ages 4Knots Festival presented by Village Voice took place on South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 … where it literally caught fire. That ladies and gentlemen, is how you throw a party! Read on for more details …
A three-alarm fire broke out during Saturday’s 4Knots Music Festival right on the bottom half of Pier 17 just as the all day alternative rock festival was getting into the full swing of things around 4pm. Hospitality was in the middle of their set on the Main Stage. The festival came to a fifteen minute halt afterward while sets changed and beer-buzzed crowds of fascinated festival-goers looked on to see the blaze grow and smoke fill the air.
While no one was injured or killed, no one seemed alarmed either as they watched first a lone citizen on a jet-ski (who’d happened to be passing by) attempt to subdue the fire with his over-spray and then a Seaport ferry hose it down while they waited for the big boys to show.
As the NYFD rolled in and took over, the main stage was being set up for the Crocodiles. The show would go on despite the impressive presence of what looked like dozens upon dozens of firefighters running to and fro with hoses, stamping out the last of the flames and making sure the pier was safe to hold the people now ready to go back to having a good time.
Before all this excitement, the cause for fun was what it was intended to be: ace music and great weather. The day was perfect, with the temperature remaining mild and sunny, rather than blazing hot or rainy. Doldrums, Fast Years, and Team Spirit held down the Skippers Stage on Pier 16 while Hospitality, Crocodiles, The Drums and Archers of Loaf held down the Main Stage.
One couldn’t figure how to divide one’s time as each outfit gave as good as they got, highlights for us being Doldrums’ murky, rhythmic and infectious dance tunes versus Team Spirit’s hyped up indie surf pop coming in time to coast one into a nice feeling of “F@#k yeah!” before the evening was out. 
Crowd favorites The Drums and Archers of Loaf brought the pier down as it were, feeding off of the energy an unexpected phenomenon like a freaking fire breaking out in the middle of all the good times settled on the crowd. Both sets were filled with each bands brand of defiant, care free rock n’roll.
As the last note fell and it was time to leave, the faces reflected the same sleepily happy sentiment: it was just a good day from start to finish. It managed to be better than last year, and it gave us feelings of anticipation for next year. Like a good party should. We didn’t start the fire but we loved watching it burn. Until next time.
Photos shot by Irvin Kelly.
"About as professional as a troupe of monkeys trying to play instruments." Writer. Editor. Music enthusiast. (kAY-rock)
