Not too long ago there was a heated debate over the upcoming Rock the Harbor festival, making it the city's most controversial festival to date! The only source of conflict was geographic location...the fest will take place on Staten Island this coming Saturday. For those who can get over the stigma attached to the borough, you're in for a treat. Pat Duffy, who also runs the blog Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, has helped organize a full day of sonic splendor from our SI band brethren -- and it's all taking place at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. More details on the event can be found here, and if you buy your tickets before Saturday you'll save 5 bucks (bring the kids for free!). more ›

In a couple of weeks Staten Island will hold its very own music festival called Rock the Harbor, something Brooklyn Vegan posted about this week -- instantly sparking a lot of "discussion" about the borough ("Does everyone have to tan and work out before the show?" etc). With Manhattanites trying to pawn SI off on Jersey, and Jerseyites rejecting it, it was only a matter of time before Staten Island Advance caught wind of the fightin' words, noting that "battle lines were drawn." One of the promoters of the show also chimed in, saying, in part:

We actually have a lot more to offer on Staten Island aside from what you may have seen on True Life: I'm a Staten Island Girl. Not all of us say 'Bro', not all of us are mobbed up, and not all of us have no idea about the arts or culture. We actually have quite a few beautiful attractions, but I'll save the tourism chat for another time. The whole point of Rock the Harbor was to shine a light on a music scene that is slowly gaining some steam. There's all sorts of bands on this lineup from straight up indie, to shoegaze, to punk, to pop, to bluegrass, we have a bit of everything and are planning on hosting this event with a completely open mind.