Waiting for The Beach BoysA couple weekends ago, I took a few days off from work to head down to Manchester, TN, for my first Bonnaroo. In fact, it was my first ever music festival, so I kind of dived into things head first. I went because Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beach Boys, and Mogwai were going to be there, but I also used it as an opportunity to discover bands I hadn't heard of before, so that I might expand my playlist.
Coming from a first-timer's perspective, I must say that this Bonnaroo was run extremely well. The band selection was excellent, the venue was (mostly) clean, and everybody was really friendly. Not having been to a festival before, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but now that I've been there, I'm sorry it had to end.
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There are a bunch of music festivals happening in the next few weeks, and right now a whole lot of people are preparing for them. I myself am going to Bonnaroo next month and it's my first festival, so I've been doing a lot of research into what I need to bring, know, and do. I've seen a lot of the same tips coming up for Bonnaroo, but many of them make sense for people attending any festival this summer or fall.
Drink plenty of fluids
This is the most important thing to remember out of all the items here. As it's the summer, it's going to be hot anywhere, but especially if the festival you're going to is in the south. Don't take a chance on this one—keep hydrated, and keep hydrated a lot. Most festivals have somewhere you can fill up a water bottle for free, so it's not something you need to worry about. Just don't have so much fun that you forget to drink the water.
It really can't be emphasized enough. There's no need to have a great time turn into a bad time, so fill up those water bottles and drink from them often.
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It's almost April, which will hopefully bring some spring weather (without the relapses into winter that filled up March here in CT). April will also bring some pretty great live events, plus April Fools Day, National Welding Month and National Karaoke Week (my favorite!). Check out the preview of April live events below!
Concerts
Coachella: For the first time, the festival will span two weekends, starting April 13 and going through April 22. Top headliners include Radiohead, David Guetta, Florence and the Machine, Gotye, and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
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Nickelback: Nickelback is teaming up with Bush, Seether and My Darkest Days for their latest tour, which kicks off April 10 in Moline, IL.
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Crosby, Stills and Nash: The trio is back again with a US tour starting April 17, continuing all the way through September.
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Things are happening, folks. The snow is melting (okay, it never was there to begin with). The spring solstice is on Tuesday. The temperatures are getting warmer. And people are beginning to spend more time outdoors.
That must mean the music festival season is about to begin, and indeed that is the case. The season kicks off next weekend with the EDM showcasing Ultra Music Festival in Miami, FL. It then picks back up in mid-April with Country Thunder Arizona and Coachella.
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As you ought to know by now, the grand prize for the Bring Back the Pack contest is a fanny pack with a fully-loaded music festival survival kit (if you didn't know, click here to enter!). The festival season is coming up quickly, so soon many people will need a place to put all the essentials, and what better way than a fanny pack? I myself am heading to Bonnaroo this summer, so I too will be stocking up a lot of things to get myself through the weekend. Keep reading to see what you should bring, and how a fanny pack will help you keep it all organized.
Water
Coachella is in April, so it seems like a false sense of security could be established in the "ahh, it won't be so bad!" variety, particularly if you're from the cold northern states or from the Californian coast. Dates can be deceiving, however. During the last Coachella, the temperature pushed 100 degrees every day. And with high temps comes dehydration. So be sure to always carry water around with you wherever you go. You can try to find some of those short water bottles. They'll fit in the big pocket of even some of the smallest fanny packs. However, you should probably go with a bigger supply than even that, in which case you may want to try for an aqua fanny pack, as described here.
Sunscreen
Along with dehydration, a festival-goer can expect high levels of UV radiation. So sunscreen is an absolute requirement, unless you plan to wince every time you take a shower. Get a travel-sized bottle and apply often. Keep the sunscreen in a separate pocket, if possible. You don't want the bottle to get the sunscreen everywhere if it's accidentally opened while grooving.
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