By DANIEL FINNEGAN
STAFF WRITER
SXSW, famous for being the largest music festival of its kind, with over 2,200 official performers, provides its audiences with a wide variety of musicians, from Justin Timberlake to John Fogerty, playing in venues all across Austin. These venues range from your typical outdoor venues to close-quartered acoustic sets in a bar. In fact, Eddie Vedder’s spontaneous ukulele set last year in a downtown bar still remains the festival’s most legendary performance.
This year the festival seemed stocked with even more talent, with numerous performances being highlighted, from Prince’s two-and-a-half-hour set, including an astounding six encores, to A Tribe Called Quest’s performance with their full lineup. It is this year’s breakout hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar, however, whose performance is being universally praised, with his highly energetic and interactive set.
Acts like these backup boasts that SXSW features the most eclectic group of performers in any American music festival. Fans of all genres and tastes of music are satisfied, with indie-rock fans dancing along to Vampire Weekend and Brooklyn natives DIIV, while classic rock enthusiasts witnessed the nostalgic reuniting of prog-rock legends The Zombies. With such a wide variety of musicians and pop stars, SXSW has set the bar high for the upcoming festivals this summer.
Do not take this as an omen that the upcoming festivals will not be as fantastic. For some people, the Firefly lineup and festivities in Delaware may be more appealing than the Bonnaroo itinerary in Tennessee. As is true every year, festivals such as Bonnaroo in Chicago and Canada’s Osheaga perfectly balance star power with music legends, building excitement among numerous festival-goers. Even more so than SXSW, these festivals appeal to all musical tastes. Whether you are a self-proclaimed indie rocker, a punk, a hip-hop aficionado or an EDM freak, you will find plenty of entertainment on this summer’s festival circuit.
While the big-name acts draw crowds, as evidenced by Coachella selling out their first weekend in fifteen minutes, Rick Berotti, GSB ’15, recommends keeping an open mind.
“I drove to Bonnaroo the summer going into my freshman year here, with very high expectations. The Strokes, my favorite band at the time, were headlining, and I was very excited. What I did not realize was that I would end up seeing so many bands I had not planned on seeing,” Berotti said. “But that was the best part! You will be surprised at how great certain bands sound live, which is how I also became a big Arcade Fire fan.”
With so many bands performing, and so much time to explore the festival grounds, these events provide opportunities for numerous unheralded acts to expand their audience base. According to Tom Perry, FCRH ’15, a self-proclaimed festival expert, these discoveries can be the highlights of the whole experience.
“You can end up discovering tons of new bands at these festivals, where I, personally, have found some whom I now consider my favorite bands,” Perry said. “Being introduced to a band by their live performance is a beautiful way to become a fan of the band.”
With countless bands preceding the headliners, these festivals always provide their audience with chances to expand their musical knowledge.
While many festival-goers are eager to arrive and hear the music, there is a great deal of preparation behind these trips. Whether you are going on a road trip or flying to your destination, being underprepared for the conditions could ruin a trip, and possibly result in far worse.
“Definitely bring a good amount of simple food, to avoid wasting all your money at the [concession] stands, and also bring plenty of water,” Jack MacGregor, FCRH ‘16, said. “People were constantly fainting and being brought to the medic because of heat exhaustion.”
With most of these festivals taking place over the summer in very dry climates, dehydration can become a serious issue.When the sun sets in the festival fields, however, the temperature is known to drop very rapidly.
“If you are planning on camping out, make sure to pack good camping equipment and plenty of warm blankets,” Michael Conley, FCRH ‘13, said. “It can get freezing in those fields, and can be very hard to sleep in the frigid cold.”
If people heed these warnings, they can expect nothing less than an exciting musical adventure, filled with an astounding number of high-octane and incredibly entertaining performances at whichever festival they attend.
