Sunfest

After contemplating which music festival to attend in my last post, I came across a hidden gem right here in Florida: SUNFEST! It is a 5-day arts and music festival on the beach in downtown West Palm Beach from April 27 to May 1. Not only is it on the beach, but it's only 4 hours from where I live in Tampa. Score.

How awesome does this look?

I came across Sunfest after one of the bands playing in the festival posted a link on Facebook. I went to the site and was surprised on how many relevant names were performing, especially since I didn't hear anything about it until recently. My fiance and I instantly got our tickets once we saw the lineup. We are only going Friday and Saturday to mainly see Circa Survive, Anberlin, Taking Back Sunday and MGMT. But, the lineup for all 5 days includes these bands as well as acts like Sublime with Rome, Jason Mraz, Jeff Beck, Greg Allman, The Avett Brothers, Cee Lo, O.A.R and Ziggy Marley, to name a few. Here's the full lineup: http://lineup.sunfest.com/


It's definitely not on the same level as Bonnaroo or ACL but it's cheap ($50 for a 2-day ticket), on the beach, only a few hour drive and 3 of my favorite bands will be there. I still have my heart set on going to Austin City Limits. That is if the Lollapalooza 20th anniversary lineup that will be announced in a few weeks doesn't blow me away. I will do an update after Sunfest and document my experiences!


Stay tuned...

To Bonnaroo or not to Bonnaroo?

Well...I'm back! I know it's been awhile since my last post but I'm ready to get this thing started again. I think the reason I didn't keep up with this was because it was just me writing about what I like and how I feel about something. My goal of this blog is to interact with others about music, not just tell people who I like to listen to. I want to make these posts more engaging and encourage everyone to give your opinions.

So let's talk about music festivals! They have been going on for decades now and I've been dying to go to one lately. Nothing sounds better than a weekend of music, booze and just letting go. I have a few friends who have gone to Bonnaroo in the past couple of years. For those who don't know, Bonnaroo is a 4 day music festival held in B.F.E. aka a farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Artists from just about every genre gather to play on multiple stages and tents and festival goers listen to live music every day for hours on end and camp in the woods. That is the only kicker. Camping for 4 days in the hot summer sun with tons of sweaty fucked up people. Not sure if that's my style. They have community showers (that you have to pay $7 each time you use them) but I heard it's better to stay smelly and gross then try your luck in one of those. I've heard the bathrooms are even worse. Imagine a port-o-potty at the end of a tailgate for a concert or sporting event and add in 100 degree weather and thousands of 20-somethings for 4 days. I think you get the picture. But, it's more than just a festival in the middle of the boonies. Not only are some of my favorite bands and artists performing like Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, The Decemberists, Lil' Wayne and The Strokes, just to name a few, but there is also a comedy tent where comedians like Conan O'Brien have performed, a silent disco, a cinema tent where both mainstream and indie films are played, carnival rides, a brewery tent, and the list goes on. Basically, it is 4 days of awesome besides the shitty camping situation.

I'm debating on whether I should go not only because of the camping aspect but it is also $300 a ticket plus a car ride to Tennessee. Now would be the time to have a friend with an RV. There is also Austin City Limits in downtown Austin this September. I've wanted to go to Austin for a long time now so add a 3 day music festival to a city already considered The Live Music Capital of the World and it's like a dream trip for me. The lineup has not been released yet but last year's bands included Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, Beach House, Miike Snow, Matt and Kim, The Eagles, The Black Keys, Manchester Orchestra, Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, etc. I think that may beat this year's Bonnaroo lineup. At ACL, there is no camping. Another selling point. But that means 3-4 nights in a hotel room, which can get pricey. There is also the cost of a plane ticket. These are some of the downsides but at least you can shower and there is some dank barbeque in Austin.

There is one last festival I have been considering--Bamboozle at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. This is only 2 months away so it may be too soon to plan but this year's lineup includes 3 of my favorites: Lil' Wayne, Circa Survive and Taking Back Sunday. There are a few more bands I like but those are the main bands I would go to see. So, it is not as complete of a lineup as Bonnaroo or ACL but it's close to New York City where we can stay and just rent a car to drive to Jersey. Again, I am seeing more $$$ flying around.

Three music festivals. Three different cities. Which one do I choose? Comment if you or anyone you know have ever been to any of these and give me some advice! Here are the links to all 3 so you can see what's up:

http://www.bonnaroo.com/
http://www.aclfestival.com/
http://thebamboozle.com/

Stay tuned...