Making waves at the Seaport: 4Knots Festival takes over

by Caitlin LoPilato | photo by Justin Astafanous

As the summer sun beat down on South Street Seaport on Saturday, an eclectic crowd of East Williamsburg hipsters, old-school Dinosaur Jr. fanatics, and energetic children gripping the hands of their cautious parents gathered for the 4^th annual Village Voice-hosted 4Knots Festival. The all-ages, free event drew in an impressive crowd that meandered around Fulton Street and the pier itself, where food trucks, free photo booth sessions and two music stages bordered all the action.

Among the festivities was a notable performance by Uruguayan singer/songwriter Juan Wauters at 3 pm, who lured in an intrigued crowd by offering enchanting melodies and an exotically warm presence. As herds of flannel-wearing New Yorkers strolled beside the Fulton Street stage, countless heads turned in curiosity as Wauters strummed delicate tunes while belting out passionate musical poetry.

At about 4:30, Nashville breakout band Those Darlins took charge of the main stage across the street. Just as swarms of drunken VIPs began to accumulate on the overlooking bow of the SS Christgau, which was docked on the pier, the Music City rockers chanted grungy, rebellious anthems, with hairstyles to match. The sea of onlookers was dotted with more than a handful of sweaty foreheads, most of which bobbed along to upbeat tracks like “Screws Get Loose” and “Optimist.”

Later in the day, the main stage was seized by gap-toothed Canadian artist Mac Demarco. A dense audience assembled, and the slacker-rocker moseyed out in front of his worshippers before playing a handful of songs from Salad Days, his April-released project. Cups of beer were raised toward the sky, partially in admiration, to commend the young musician; partially to avoid spilling Shock Top on neighboring crowd members.

As the afternoon wound down, 4Knots attendees made final stops at empanada trucks and free t-shirt tents to gather around the main stage for the festival’s final performance – Dinosaur Jr. A gentle breeze rolled over the pier and swept the hair of front man J Mascis while he led the band in beloved oldies like “Feel the Pain” and “The Lung.” The fanatics, hipsters and children alike danced along, rattling the wooden foundation of Seaport as they took in the final rays of the Saturday sunshine. This year’s 4Knots was no doubt a success, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year.