Anyone who knows my work knows that I am an avid music fan. Well, to use the word fan is an understatement. Besides listening to music, writing, performing and reviewing are some of the other activities that go along with my musical experiences. Let’s just say, I live and breathe this stuff!
Just recently, I had the opportunity to cover and attend the 8th annual Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware. Firefly is one of the most popular festivals in the country, which has hosted some very notable names in the music industry. Some if the prior acts in the past, include: The Weeknd; Florence + the Machine; and Tom Petty, plus a slew of other performers in very high demand.
Before I get into the performances and my personal experiences with some of the artists, let’s talk about the overall feel of the festival. Firefly isn’t just a one-day thing— it lasts for three-days, with each day ending at about 2 a.m. It’s truly both a mental and physical investment for those who attend.
The first day of the festival, I got up very early to see if there were long lines in the will call area because the first act would begin at 11 a.m. People already started picking up their tickets 6 a.m. This itself was a true part of the experience— an unspoken subculture involved in the process.
With a collective jubilance is in the air, people were blaring music from their cars, people were dancing and chatting with friends in the parking lot— it all felt very natural and in order. The parking lot was full of vehicles with different license plates from around the country, a fun sight to see and the campgrounds were buzzing with people, full fledged tents, water coolers and all other necessities needed for the outdoors.
LukeyLenz
Post Malone
Now to the music— This year’s festival lineup did not disappoint. Panic at the Disco!; Travis Scott; and Post Malone all proved why they are headliners. All three acts drew massive crowds and used the stage to their best advantage. It was obvious they were all seasoned and knew the command they could have over an audience. It never hurts when each one of them has an assortment of hit songs and have reached incredible levels of success as well. Singing along was prevalent and people were not shy in letting the artists know how much they loved them.
When I wasn’t looking at the acts or trying to figure out what was for lunch, I was having conversations with some of the artists for my “SwanoDown SitDown” video series. Some artists that you can expect to see are Ziggy Alberts, Evan Westfall from the group Caamp, and Post Malone affiliate, Tyla Yaweh. Each artist was thoroughly engaging during our discussions, and I truly enjoyed speaking with them.
Keep an eye out for our SwanoDown SitDowns on The Baltimore Times website: www.baltimoretimes-online.com and YouTube pages.
In the meantime… Stay Virtuous. Stay Idealistic. Stay Progressive.