Get your sunblock, your cutest strappy sandals, and your vocal cords ready. The summer concert season is upon us. It’s time to be a music junkie and devote the next four months to imbibing as much live music across the country as possible. Whether you fancy rap, hip hop, country, blues, alternative, or unclassifiable music (ahem—Bjork), there’s an opportunity for you to get a space of grass and enjoy amazing musical performance under the sun and stars this summer.
As a summer music fanatic, I’ve gathered information on several of the ultimate music festivals (the ones I think are the best bang for your buck), provided links to tickets, and even listed the celebrities you might see attending each show. To me, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon (after a long week cooped up in your office) than getting high on life (and other things), basking in the summer sun, and grooving to some great music. It’s a chance to travel to the middle of nowhere (see Bonnaroo Festival) and meet new people—or experience life in the middle of a field where your only privacy is your tent and your only sustenance is the PB&J sammies that the college kids are selling six tents over. It’s a chance for us adults to be irresponsible for an entire weekend—to let our hair down, dance without inhibition, and sing at the top of our lungs.
So go ahead. Use that vacation time you’ve been saving up. Take a three-day weekend and see a live show. Get ready to throw your hands in the air and—you guessed it—wave ‘em like you just don’t care. When winter comes, and you’re back inside a concert hall or small club, you’ll thank me for pushing you to experience grass under your feet, music in your ears, sun on your face, and nothing on your mind but the sweet sound of music.
Sasquatch
- Dates: May 25–28
- Location: George, Washington, near the Columbia River gorge (WildHorse campsite)
- Bands: Bjork, Beastie Boys, Blackalicious, Interpol
