With the arrival of warmer weather and sun-kissed days comes my favorite season. Summer right? Wrong, Festival Season.
We are well into Festival Season already, Coachella in the desert of California, considered by many to be THE premier festival in the continental US, world-renowned for having the most prestigious line-ups, where celebrities in their high fashion mingle with us groundings in our Free People and Forever 21, has come and gone. But Festival Season has only just begun.
In exactly one month I will be traveling to Delaware, yes Delaware, for Firefly 2015. Check out the lineup here!
Whether staying in a hotel or camping there are some things you will need at the actual festival. I’ve been to Coachella, Hangout in Gulf Shores and of course Austin City Limits in my hometown. All festivals are not created equal, you can’t camp at ACL, Lollapoolza or Hangout, like you can at Coachella or Firefly, but the essentials remain the same. With uncontrollable anticipation and planning for Firefly I have complied a hierarchy of festival quintessentials based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
1. Physiological – Water is absolutely vital when it comes to enjoying your festival experience. Every well seasoned festival attendee knows you can’t survive the harsh demand a festival puts on your body without water. Investing in a Camelbak for Hangout Music Festival in 2012 was probably the smartest move I have made as a festival addict. Sure they aren’t the most stylish, but when you’re on the beach or in the desert, having a sufficient supply of water conveniently on your back can really come in handy and leave you free to get your groove on.
I’ll never forget the first day of Coachella in 2013 when I saw attendees dropping left and right from heat and dehydration. Sure, most festivals have free water stations where you can refill your water supply, but when you’re front and center in the middle of an amazing set by Red Hot Chili Peppers or Phoenix the last thing you want to do is bail out of the crowd for water. Have water with you at ALL TIMES. Refill as often as possible, preferably in between sets or before a long wait at a specific stage. You don’t want to be the person who faints or misses something incredible because you didn’t drink enough water. In fact, I suggest hydrating the entire week before to ensure maximum performance.
2. Safety – Power in Numbers and a Designated Meet Up Spot – when you go to a festival with someone or a group of someones, it changes the core dynamic of your relationship. You came, you saw and you conquered, together. You form a deep connection with the people you attend with, they become your, “Festie Besties” and you will always remember for the years to come the time you sweated, cried, danced, and experienced a soul-shattering performance together. Sometimes you can get separated among the tens of thousands of people also in attendance. I suggest having a Designated Meet Up Spot at the end of the night so if you do get separated during Kendrick Lamar’s face melting set you can relax and enjoy the show knowing confidently at the end of the night you won’t be alone and you know exactly where to find your group. I for one DO NOT want to check my phone during a performance and more often then not, cell phone reception is terrible at festivals. Don’t rely on your phone completely. Be smart, have a spot or someone who has a unique flag or balloon with them that is easy to recognize among the crowd.
3. Love and Belonging – This one is easy at festivals. Everyone is there for mostly the same reasons. You want to have a good time, socialize and most importantly get your jam on. On an abstract level everyone at a festival becomes a huge, diverse and extended family. You are there for the music and you take care of each other.The first time I went to Warped-Tour in 2005, I’ll never forget seeing Fall Out Boy and something what’s his name ( not Pete Wentz, the other guy), said. “If someone falls, pick them up.” He was talking about the fearless crowd-surfers. Sometimes people below aren’t anticipating a body above them and the person falls, but everyone around them reaches down and hoists them back up above the crowd to surf once again. The same concept can apply to any facet of a music festival. If someone get’s too hot or dehydrated and hits the ground, pick them up, help them! If someone takes too much of something, be there for them and help them, because it happens unfortunately. Be a good festival family member and take care of your fellow music lovers.
4. Esteem – Confidence comes in many forms. Have a positive attitude and be open about the adventure and experience you are about to embark on. This also includes my personal favorite, FESTIVAL FASHION! Festival’s are the perfect opportunity to wear that fringe crop top you’ve been waiting to wear. Be wise about choosing your outfit and dress appropriately to the climate of that area. Heels and leather, while incredible in their own right, usually aren’t the most reasonable fashion choices for being in the desert or on the beach. Layers are always smart. Wear your cute flowy bohemian dress or your man tank, but bring a light layer for the evening shows. You can always take layers off but you can’t put any on if you left them at home. Kimonos are super in and super sexy, or a badass flannel that will look equally chic tied around your waist. You’re probably going to get a little grimy so NEVER wear anything you can’t live without or wouldn’t be upset getting dirty. Shoes are also incredibly important. While Chacos might not be the most fashionable choice, they are my go to for festivals. If it rains, so what? Yes, you subject yourself to getting your toes stepped on and ruining your turquoise pedicure you just got, but it comes with the territory.
One of my most favorite festival fashion purchase is my Indiana Jones hat. Before Coachella I bought a wide brimmed leather hat with silver buffalo medallions at a Native American store on the Venice Beach strip. This isn’t something I would normally rock on a Tuesday, but in the desert, it saved my life. It kept my face and shoulders shaded and kept my head cool and extremely comfortable in the sun.
5. Self-Actualization – Whether it’s only for a day or the entire weekend, release your inhibitions, forget what happened at work, or the guy back who never text you back. Let your inner free spirit take control and just go with it. Dance like no is watching, let your body feel the music and give yourself to it completely, do what comes natural. I can promise you will never feel more alive and in touch with your inner self than when you let go and just exist in the moment. Take people for who they are, because you will see and meet the most eccentric and amazing people at festivals.
Amy Austintacious 