Governors Ball Music Festival 2022, Day 2

Roddy Ricch Is Arrested, Halsey Does Stranger Things, Tove Lo Flashes, and Shaquille O'Neal Is a DJ

(photograph by Charles Reagan)

Amid a forecast of showers that never materialized, Day Two of the Governors Ball Music Festival 2022 at the Citi Field parking lot presented today's Tik Tok generation with many emerging music artists with so-far short but viral careers. The bigger attractions included Halsey, Flume, and Roddy Ricch, plus Ashnikko, Joji, Denzel Curry, Chelsea Cutler, Still Woozy, DJ Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal), YG, Tove Lo, Davie, Gus Dapperton, Peach Tree Rascals, Benee, Tom Odell, Valley, Almost Monday, Millington, Dehd, and Octavio the Dweeb. The Teskey Brothers canceled several weeks earlier.

Flume

Chelsea Cutler

Denzel Curry

Joji

Roddy Ricch drew a crowd of thousands, but the rapper was unable to perform. The New York Police Department arrested Ricch and two other men on gun charges during a vehicular security check at Citi Field shortly before Ricch was scheduled to perform. Police found a Canik 9mm handgun with nine bullets loaded into its high-capacity magazine under a passenger seat of the black 2020 Cadillac that transported them to the festival. Police charged Ricch, whose legal name is Rodrick Wayne Moore, Jr., and his two companions, driver Carlos Collins and bodyguard Michael Figueroa, with four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a large capacity ammo feeding device, and unlawful possession of that device.

A half hour after Ricch's 6:30 p.m. set was to begin, festival organizers notified the audience via electronic signage that Ricch would not be performing, providing no further explanation. Organizers encouraged the attendees to visit the other stages, where Denzel Curry and Joji were performing. Before long, rumors spread that Ricch was arrested, taken to the 110 Precinct police station, and was waiting to be arraigned at Queens Central Booking. (Ed. note: Police later dropped the charges on Ricch.)

Gus Dapperton

Davie

De'Wayne

Still Woozy

Halsey

Halsey was the main headliner for day two of Governors Ball. The singer started the set by declaring "If you think you know what this show is going to be like, I'm going to change your f***ing mind." Halsey, born Ashley Frangipane in Edison, New Jersey, and who uses both she/her and they/them pronouns, later related a story first shared when they performed at Governors Ball in 2018. They attended their first Governors Ball in 2014, on the same day they signed their first recording contract while wearing a Governors Ball wristband, and wondered if they would ever perform at the festival.

Halsey's performance focused on the more rock-leaning side of their catalog, with two newer additions to the 16-song set. They performed their new single, "So Good," live for the first time. They also covered the currently-trending "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)," a song Kate Bush recorded in 1985 that recently became a hit after being included in an episode of Stranger Things. "I just had to do it! I'm sorry, guys, I just had to do it!" they told the cheering audience. Halsey's set ended with a fireworks display.

Peach Tree Rascals

Tom Odell

Benee

YG

Before YG came on stage, his disc jockey amped the crowd to "open up the mosh pit," and the crowds both in general admission and VIP did as requested. YG later took a political turn. "We in New York City, right?" he asked the audience. "F**k Donald Trump." He then rapped the song that repeatedly chanted the f-bomb refrain.

NBA Hall of Famer and Newark native Shaquille O'Neal introduced his new side gig at Governors Ball. Yes, he had a platinum-selling rap album in 1993 and acted in commercials for an insurance company. Now, as DJ Diesel, he spun an hour-long set of heavy-handed EDM beats along with snippets of popular songs. The seven-foot-one athlete even invited a fan on stage from the audience to sit on his shoulders as he djed.

DJ Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)

Valley

Almost Monday

Tove Lo

While many performers as well as attendees wore skin-revealing outfits, Swedish pop singer Tove Lo wore a bikini top that was so sheer that it looked like she possibly was wearing only the trim of a cutaway bra plus pasties. While singing "Talking Bodies," the mystery was revealed. She lifted her top and flashed the audience. Later in the evening during Flume's set, he brought Tove Lo onstage to join him for a song.

Blue-haired Ashnikko wore onstage one of the more imaginative outfits of the festival, along with a touch of curious face painting. An advocate for self-care, she instructed her audience to place a hand on their head, give themselves a "brain hug," and tell themselves "I love you, you're doing your very best." Later, she encouraged her listeners to release an unbridled, cathartic primal scream.

Ashnikko

Millington

Brass Queens

Dehd (photograph by Charles Reagan)

Octavio the Dweeb (photograph by Greg Noire)

Click here for Everynight Charley's report on Governors Ball 2022, Day 1

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's June calendar.