The moment the sun goes down, the stage lights go up, and your favorite artists hits the stage, euphoria takes control of you. This is the spark that every music fan dreams of. I am writing this piece to share my own experiences of this musical celebration As someone who has been to Music Midtown, Shaky Knees, Ultra, and Coachella, I’ve had my own personal encounters with these feelings of awe. It’s a lifestyle that goes beyond flower crowns and white people culturally appropriating Native American Headdresses. It’s community of love, life, and passion for music.
As soon as you make your way to the field, you will be welcomed by the scent of weed and the most food trucks in the world. Everyone around you is wearing a delicate outfit they put hours of thought in to and spent time searching Pinterest for ideas. There is no music playing yet circles have formed of people already jamming to whatever song is in there head. You wander, people watching, and taking it all in and comparing it to what you’ve seen on Snapchat. You’ve probably figured out that it’s not as glamorous as you thought; I mean its usually it’s 100 degrees and your walking through straight up dirt. You debate if spending an extra four hundred dollars on a VIP ticket would have been worth it, trust me it’s not.
You make your way to the stage of your favorite act a couple hours early cause you want to be barricade for them. While you wait, your back starts to ache and if you decided to stay sober, i.e. me, then then everyone’s drunken charades are staring to give you a headache. Your checking your phone, counting the seconds until your artist takes the stage. It’s easy to question your own sanity as sweat overtakes your entire face and you struggle to not to succumb to exhaustion.
But then it happens. The lights hit, the band begins to play and then the artist makes their appearance among the crowd of adoring fans. This is it the moment you have dreamt about for months, the reason you bought a ticket, and have endured the pain. You know all the words and have no trouble finishing the lyrics whenever the point the point the mic in to the crowd. You forgot about the heat thats pushing to the point of passing out, and are focused on capturing every moment on video so you can remember this day forever.
Soon the artists will leave the stage, but you’re there begging for an encore that will never come. The crowd will disperse, hopefully, and you’re gonna have to make the trek back to the campgrounds. Your sad its over and you want it to happen all over again; but then you realize, this is on the first day and you have two more to go. Two more days full of the same intoxicating euphoria. You’re surrounded by fellow music lover, partiers, stoners, and people looking for a life changing experience. Welcome to a music festival , and the time of your life.
