Music festival connoisseurs are all too familiar with the woes of heat. The sun is there, always following you, sticking to your skin as you are pressed up against hundreds of bodies all sweating as well. Water bottles, sun screen, and the least amount of acceptable clothes are your only forms of defense against the sweltering heat. So as kids pilled into the free shuttles at the AT&T ballpark on Oct. 16, they tugged at their little dresses, readjusted their gladiator straps, and put their sunglasses on. Unfortunately for them the day’s high would a brisk 65 degrees, dipping down to a mere 57 by the end of the night.

It’s funny because it seems that people can’t talk about the Treasure Island music festival without ranting about how cold it is. The festival takes place on Treasure Island, the little island that you need to drive through to get from San Francisco over to the East Bay. The band Phantogram exclaimed halfway through their set, “So this is what summer is like in San Francisco?” as they zipped their jackets up just that much higher. However others seemed impervious to the cold. Die Antwoord rattled off their nonsensical raps wearing their usually getups of not very much clothing.

The cold did leave momentarily throughout the day. During Deadmau5 the whole festival slammed together to form a single body invincible to any outside forces (like freezing cold air) as Deadmau5 attempted to place everyone in a state of relentless seizing.

There’s a much different, more relaxed vibe at Treasure Island than that at Street Scene or Coachella, and it’s not just because of the cold. I mean, looking around it’s the same kind of kids, the same kind of bands. Maybe it has to do with the organization (there are only two stages that alternate performances), or maybe it’s just a NorCal thing that I don’t really get.

But going really is an experience, not just because you get to see LCD Soundsystem or Broken Social Scene or Belle & Sebastion, or whoever it is you want to see. It has a small venue feel all wrapped up as a large scale festival. So if you’ve got an extra $70 or so bucks and can find cheap airfare (I recommend Virgin Airlines), give Treasure Island 2011 a chance. Just don’t forget your jacket.