Music is a huge part of my life, and for the past two years I have missed out on the biggest music festival in Georgia… I know, it’s heartbreaking really. This year, with my new job, I convinced myself last minute that it was worth it to get a general admission ticket, buy a new outfit and book a hotel room for a couple of nights. My best friend, Kyndol, and I then hit the road last Friday, and headed to the big ATL for the weekend of our lives… Music Midtown!

Music Midtown is a huge music festival that’s held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA. The festival started out in 1994, and ran yearly until 2005. The city of Atlanta faced six years without the festival, then in 2011, the festival started back up… and here we are, four years later, and it’s better than ever! Over the years, Music Midtown has turned into a two-day event in September of every year… and on September 18^th, 2015, I set foot into this incredible atmosphere for the first time.

My first reaction to Music Midtown was complete awe. There were so many people, and strangely… I felt a sense of belonging. I was surrounded by thousands of people that love music just as much as I do, and it was absolutely indescribable.

Day One of the festival was amazing, as expected. The performances of the day included:

Tove Lo

Though I didn’t catch Tove Lo personally, it’s all any of my friends could talk about before I even arrived. The Swedish pop singer did a quite steamy and provocative re-do of “Talking Body” and made a statement in her bare feet… and her confidence alone was enough to draw in the crowd. The crowd was wild for her, and they were left hungry for more at the end of her set.

Hozier

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier was nothing less than amazing. Having known him for his hit “Take Me To Church,” and not much more, I was pleasantly surprised with his set list. Hozier drew in quite the crowd, and blew them all away with his song “To Be Alone.” He stole my heart with his whole performance, and I kicked myself for missing the beginning. By the end, his unique voice (and incredible attractive appearance, holy smokes) had won me over.

Drake

Drake’s set was one I reluctantly missed (I mean what else do you do when you’re stuck between two unbelievable artists?), but from every video I have seen… it was one to remember for everyone who experienced it. Drizzy brought the crowd into his performance by supporting their participation. He moved from song to song pretty quickly, and he made sure to include all of his greatest hits. Drake’s performance ended with a “bang” of fireworks that lit up the sky – and left the crowd wanting more than ever.

Elton John

I missed Drake’s performance to experience the performance of this incredibly talented man, and oh, how I will never regret it. Elton brought “it” if anyone ever has. Elton took the stage with confidence, grace, and he sat at the piano and rocked his end of the park like I have never seen. He sang and played his greatest hits, and even came back for an encore, singing one of my personal favorites “Crocodile Rock.” It was a night I will remember for the rest of my life. I was completely blown away, and those two hours passed by faster than any I’ve ever experienced.

Day two of Music Midtown began around noon, and held an incredible amount of talent. The performances of the day included:

Elle King

Elle King, a new face to me, amazed the crowd with her blunt and almost seemingly rude comments, but boy oh boy did the crowd eat it up! Elle brought forth her new album with explanations and stories to go with every song, and she rocked the Belk stage with her hit single “Ex’s and Oh’s.” Elle King even brought forth lots of talent, and even did a cover of The Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.” This chicka is going places, you’ll see.

Daryl Hall and John Oats

Hall and Oats was unbelievable for an oldies lover like me. The two kept their professionalism on stage with a few warm smiles from one to another. Though they are an older band, they managed to roll out their biggest hits with precision. Saving their biggest hits for their encore, the pair excited the crowd with “Rich Girl,” “You Make My Dreams Come True,” "Private Eyes," and Kiss On My List” to close out their set. The crowd sang along to virtually every song on the set list, and it was an awesome experience over all. I’d see them again in a heartbeat.

Billy Idol

Personally, I missed out on his set (Hall and Oates was on stage, what could I do?) but from everything I’ve heard… Billy didn’t disappoint. Billy and his guitarist, Steve Stevens, brought their A-Game, and even played some new material mixed in with Idol’s hits. He played with unbelievable energy, and the entire atmosphere was more like an 80’s rock party… rather than a Music Festival.

Icona Pop

Icona Pop was impressive. Their dancing was what really drew me in, and their loud, dance worthy music held me there. Their music's beat was kind of repetitive, but they were full of so much energy that no one really cared to notice that. I could have white-girl danced all day long to their sick beats, and as for their music… I didn’t hate it.

Panic! At the Disco

Panic! was definitely a go-to, especially after hearing the chants of the crowd waiting for them to take the stage! The band as a whole was virtually flawless, and their songs had a polished touch to them. They closed the set with a cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and I’m pretty sure that won me over. Seriously, who can’t love them now?

Lenny Kravitz

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Lenny took the stage with a sense of confidence and “cool” that only he can. He rocked all of his biggest hits, and won the crowd over with his performance of “American Woman.” His guitar solos, and dancing excited the crowd even more, and he was recognized by an unbelievable amount of young girls… no doubt from his appearance in “The Hunger Games.”

Van Halen

Van Halen attracted quite the crowd, as expected and met every expectation I had for them. The band’s devoted fans were pumped with some of the not-as-popular songs played, and they sang along with a vengeance. However, the tension between some of the band members was obvious on stage, and honestly affected the tone of the whole show for me.

Sam Smith

Amazing. That’s all I can say. The crowd was insane, and he deserved every bit of it. Sam’s energy and devotion to each of his songs made the show worthwhile. His relatable songs, beautiful voice and stage presence as a whole was literally addictive. I never wanted his set to end, but at least he closed out Music Midtown with an INCREDIBLE set. There’s nothing on Earth that could have made me leave once he started. I’d see him a million more times, if I could.

Overall, Music Midtown #1 (for me) was the experience of a lifetime. I couldn’t have asked for a better stress relieving experience. Reluctantly, my best friend and I headed back to Statesboro early Sunday morning, but we are already anxious for next year’s lineup.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times… can we turn back time?