Marina & the Diamonds [Monmouthshire, Wales]

Must-See at FreeFest: The Black Keys
Fav Track: “Next Girl”

It has long been a pastime for youngsters to play in the post-rain mud and Maryland kids got down and dirty this Saturday at Virgin Mobile Live FreeFest all for the benefit of youth homelessness. Tickets were free: payment was by choice. Every dollar spent on drinks and pure donations went straight to the cause. It was American ‘free’dom reigning at its finest. Artists included Cee-Lo Green, The Black Keys, TV On The Radio, Empire of the Sun, Deadmasu5, !!!, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Two Door Cinema Club, Teddybears, Ghostland Observatory, James Murphy, Cut Copy, Calvin Harris, and our new buddies, Bombay Bicycle Club, and more!

As lobbyists and Congressmen scurried down Avenue K nearby (or more realistically, at their summer homes), Trendland strolled FreeFest for some trend spotting. We also got to sit down with Bombay Bicycle Club‘s (review coming up shortly) Jack Steadman and Ed Nash after their show so they could show off their carefree style, a brand new album, and tell us what it feels like to tour in America. In a state known better for politics than fashion, we still managed to catch some Trendlandians walking about.

Erica M. and Ekene I. [NYC]