Setlists and Summits

Whether it’s Bonnaroo in Tennessee or Firefly in Delaware. Whether it’s The Struts in New Jersey or Nine Inch Nails in Ohio. Safe to say I’ve been to my fair share of out of states concerts and festivals. Every location has a different vibe— a different energy. I’m going to categorize this into 2 parts: multi-day festivals and single-day shows. I’m going to go over a summary of the concert as well as what is needed/suggested.

Let’s start with some out-of-state music festivals. Firefly Music Festival in Dover, DE was my first multi-day music festival. We went to Firefly 4 times over the span of 5 years (‘17, ‘18, ‘21, ‘22). The first year, we stayed in a hotel about 20 minutes away. The 2nd year, we did their Glamping (glamorized camping) option. Glamping was a normal tent but with real beds, air conditioning, a power strip, and VIP showers and bathrooms. These years were very formative in showing us what we need and don’t need when it comes to a festival.

The biggest difference between hotel and tent was the walk and car ride at the end of the music-filled day. At the end of a day of standing in the June heat, I did NOT want to walk almost a mile to the car. I wanted to sleep so badly. With tent camping, it was maybe a 5 minute walk and we were there.

Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN is by far the farthest I’ve traveled for a concert. I went there 2019 and 2022. This trip took a bit more planning and supplies. I would like to shout out my father for all of his planning and attentiveness to our trips. These concert roadtrips would not have been as successful without his spreadsheets. Those spreadsheets included packing and shopping lists. He made sure we each had at least 2 comfy shoes, face and body sunscreen, glow sticks, make up remover wipes, glitter, Emergen-C, and even more.

Social media loves to show you the glamorous parts of music festivals and leave out the real stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good festival post dump. However there are many less aesthetic ideas missed in those posts. During Bonnaroo ‘22, there was a thunderstorm that came through that swept away many tents and E-Z Ups. Sets got canceled and pushed to later times. Bonnaroo ‘21 got canceled 2 days before it was set to begin because of hurricane Ida. That’s the realistic part of outdoor music festivals (especially in the south).

When it comes to single-day concerts, what you should expect is based on how far you’re going. The D.C. Metropolitan area is not that big, land-wise, do it doesn’t take long to get most places. Southern New Jersey is usually my boundary for a hotel or not. Camden doesn’t usually require an overnight stay, but Atlantic City will put us in a hotel. It all depends on how much driving you want to do (especially late at night) and how much money you want to spend. You’re already paying for the ticket, food, gas, and (maybe) merch. A hotel isn’t in the cards for everyone.

In 2022, we did the first 2 days of Firefly then drove across Pennsylvania to see Nitzer Ebb, Ministry, and Nine Inch Nails in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. This was a longggggggg week of travel and concerts, but it was so worth it. In those 4 days I got to see Halsey, My Chemical Romance, and Nine Inch Nails; 3 bands I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. It was my first time seeing NIN and we were in the second row (behind the pit). The worst parts of that show was this camera boy who kept blocking our section’s view. It got so bad I told him to move so we could see. He didn’t. It was very frustrating, but I tried to not let it ruin anything. My other grievance with the show was that they didn’t do Hurt. Personally, I feel that Hurt is one of their biggest songs so when they didn’t preform it, the entire pavilion was confused and upset.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to go to a long distance show. There are ways that make it easier and more comfortable, but it ultimately comes down to the concert-goers discretion. I know I’ve been spoiled by glamping and VIP concert festivals and concert tickets, so when the day comes that I’m doing GA and I have to build my own tent, I’ll need to learn a whole new system. Festivals are a great way to see people you wouldn’t normally see. If you can manage it, I will recommend music festivals every time.