Thread for discussing music festivals and/or gigs you’re going to, have been to, or would like to attend.
Also the place to ask for advice when it comes to attending music festivals and shows.
OP may be updated with rules as necessary, but for now I’m leaving the thread fairly wide open for discussion as long as it’s related to music festivals or shows.
So anyone have plans to go to a festival this year? I’ll be at the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois on Memorial Day weekend.
Last year’s was a blast, Primus was far and away the best show of the weekend. Super excited for Lettuce this year. And of course moe. always puts on a great show.
I meant to reply to your post in my thread but I was too high.
In San Francisco there are a ton of music festivals. The best free one is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October. Every time I go I have a blast and get wasted and listen to awesome music. I’ll be there this year for sure.
The most popular paid festival is Outside Lands. I’ve never paid for that because it’s ridiculously expensive, but you can sit outside the gates and listen to the music. Last year I got to hear Metallica’s entire set without missing a beat, I just couldn’t see them, but who cares about that. I will probably be in the vicinity for that one this year, most likely stoned somewhere.
Don’t do drugs, unless you’re with me.
you can sit outside the gates and listen to the music. Last year I got to hear Metallica’s entire set without missing a beat, I just couldn’t see them, but who cares about that.
I did the same for Arcade Fire’s set at Lollapalooza around 2009-10ish. Worked out pretty well.
Summer Camp is surprisingly easy to sneak into, as long as you know two people with wristbands that are willing to help - just have one take off their wristband and stay inside (they’re fitted quite loosely usually), and the other keeps theirs on while taking the other one out to meet you in the parking lot. For best results, wear a wristband from another year so you have something on while you’re inside. I know two people who get in this way every year. Here’s hoping they never decide to have checkpoints at the stages like Electric Forest does…
Arrived safely at Summer Camp! The line to get in is crazy long already, and the gates don’t even open for another 7 hours or so.
I’ve managed to get a decent camping spot in the past when I’ve come on Friday after all the Thursday early birds have already set up shop, so I think I’m gonna skip waiting in the line for that long and go nap in my car.
First few days have been a blast! Lettuce was great, I really enjoyed Tipper and EOTO, and moe. killed it in the late night Red Barn set last night.
Looking forward to STS9 in a couple hours!
Awesome! Have fun listening to some good tunes.
Don’t do drugs, unless you’re with me.
Finally back home. Had a blast myself, but it appears that the heat this year combined with the ever-more-divided crowd (the festival has incorporated more and more EDM over the years, so the ratio of inexperienced young ravers and older hippies is closer to 50:50 than it ever has been) led to a lot of problems for others.
It was also weird because a lot of people I’m used to seeing weren’t there this year. But still, I enjoyed myself, even if it wasn’t my favorite year.
Bands I saw in order of how awesome their sets were:
Worst Set All Weekend Award goes to Led Zeppelin 2, possibly the cringiest tribute band I’ve ever seen.
Sets I’m upset that I missed due to the heat or scheduling:
Worst Set All Weekend Award goes to Led Zeppelin 2, possibly the cringiest tribute band I’ve ever seen.
That is hysterical because I used to have a friend in that band, he was their drummer for a while around 2008 or so. I never saw them play because I was all like “wtf tribute bands suck go make original music”.
Don’t do drugs, unless you’re with me.
Worst Set All Weekend Award goes to Led Zeppelin 2, possibly the cringiest tribute band I’ve ever seen.
That is hysterical because I used to have a friend in that band, he was their drummer for a while around 2008 or so. I never saw them play because I was all like “wtf tribute bands suck go make original music”.
There is one tribute band that does NOT suck. “Rain”, a tribute band for the Beatles (there are other good ones as well, but I saw this one). Their shows are immersive and absolutely awesome. Hearing the guitar solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” roar to it’s full power across an auditorium is breath taking.
Worst Set All Weekend Award goes to Led Zeppelin 2, possibly the cringiest tribute band I’ve ever seen.
That is hysterical because I used to have a friend in that band, he was their drummer for a while around 2008 or so. I never saw them play because I was all like “wtf tribute bands suck go make original music”.
There is one tribute band that does NOT suck. “Rain”, a tribute band for the Beatles (there are other good ones as well, but I saw this one). Their shows are immersive and absolutely awesome. Hearing the guitar solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” roar to it’s full power across an auditorium is breath taking.
ooh i’ll have to look them up.
Brit Floyd is also excellent.
The key is not to pretend to be the original band members while onstage. That’s always cringey as hell, and it’s exactly what Led Zeppelin 2 did.
Also you have to play the music well.
“Led Zeppelin 2” is a shit name, anyway.