There’s nothing quite like being away from your daily life for three or more days to just hang about with your friends and listen to some of the best music out today. Good vibrations surround you and others who enjoy the same music, as you are all there. You can just jam with your friends and thousands of strangers while putting away all of your stresses for a weekend. At a music festival, you can experience all that for four glorious days. Sure, it may be expensive, but it’s completely worth it. Take a loan from a friend, your parents or be smart and get a job and save some money because you’ll regret not ever going to a festival.
I went to the Firefly Music Festival last summer and I can genuinely say it was four of the best days of my life. While it did rain when we got there, leaving the fields covered in mud, and once at night making us sleep in our buddy’s van, all of that doesn’t resonate with me today. I can only think of the many laughs and stories everyone in our crew shared and, of course, the acts. To see some of my favorite bands playing right before my eyes is something I wouldn’t give up for the world. Not to mention seeing Paul McCartney live. Goosebumps, man. I think at one point I teared up while I was belting “Live and Let Die.”
Getting home that Monday after the festival, I felt almost hollow as if my experience at Firefly made me whole. I needed to go back, so when my friends were down to go again this year I clenched my fist and silently whispered “yes” to myself. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and we couldn’t go and boy, I was devastated. As I’m typing this article, while knowing the festival is going on and more of my favorite bands are set to play I’m wallowing in self-pity. Of course, If I had not gone to Firefly the year before I wouldn’t feel so bad but having those memories makes me feel good that I can be able to do that again. I can have another awesome experience when I go to Firefly or another festival someday, so being upset about not going only means that the experience I had the year before was so worth it.
It is why I implore anyone who hasn’t ever gone to a music festival before to go. It’s as important as traveling or getting an internship or job because the memories you make there will stay with you forever. Besides, we all want to be happy and be able to experience different aesthetics and pleasures of life so why limit yourself from seeing some of the best acts in music and possibly a few of your favorite artists? It may only be for a weekend but it’s so worth the price, trust me I wouldn’t be writing this piece if I didn’t think so.
