Music Festivals: the Eighth Wonder of the World

Music festivals stand with the Parthenon, the Great Wall of China and Petra. Putting life on hold to party is ancient history. Few holograms of Tupac or Elvis could be found at the Festival of Dyonisis in ancient Greece, but festival goers were satisfied with rhapsodies blaring Homer, Plato or Empedocles to strummed lyra. Festivals, parades and carnivals evolved into what we recognize as music festivals today, dwelling first in classical music, theatre and opera. By the 1950s, however, these festivals consisted of traditional music, opera and all classical varieties, as well as harpsichord, Celtic and bagpipe. Today the world repertoire of music festivals includes folk, rock and roll, cover bands, punk and techno.

The music festival experience has morphed into a communal life-pause. Not showering for three days is acceptable, sunburn is an epidemic and there is as much musical talent played in the campground as there is on the main stage. Sometimes rain cures a sunburn, but creates mud slides for half-naked children to race down, followed by their parents. Teenagers bug their parents to let them attend with friends, twenty-somethings set up camp with college buddies, and middle aged men and women come back for their 30th, 40th, sometimes 50th festival.

I myself am a music festival baby. The first time I sat in a grassy field with a hundred others listening to a mik-ed band on a stage, I was two years old. The Philadelphia Folk Festival is family tradition. Every August, my father and I pack up tent, folding chairs and camp stove into our roof-top carrier, and my sister and mother pile in behind us. For three days our silver Prius collects dust in a field while we stay up late in the campground, roam in and out of craft booths and food vendors, and park ourselves in the sun to be entertained by Ani Difranco, Arlo Guthrie and Mongolian throat singers.

I've seen impressive acts in my life, though few of the late night or afternoon performances I've sat through will go down in history. However, music festivals have often created historic landmarks. At the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Janis Joplin sang a rendition of her song "Ball and Chain" that would forever mark her as something of her own, though she was a member of Big Brother and the Holding Company at the time. It was Joplin's first large-scale performance. At the same festival, Otis Redding, an African American blues singer, was introduced for the first time to a predominantly white audience. The infamous Woodstock, which must of course be mentioned, was a cultural climax in rock and roll, leaving an imprint as one of the biggest festivals of all time and a symbol of the raging sixties. Music festivals have served individual artists in their crusades in show biz, on top of fostering social change.

Music festivals can also be pinned as fad preservation. Beatlemania and Gratefulfest, for example, or Gathering of the Vines and The Clifford Ball. At Beatlemania, middle-aged white guys dress up in Sergeant Pepper suits and sing in British accents, perfectly capturing the endearing nature of The Beatles. Gratefulfest and Gathering of the Vines honor The Grateful Dead, featuring a significant number of cover bands. The Clifford Ball is one of nine weekend-long festivals hosted by Phish. Such festivals not only hand the opportunity to remember the good old days to the first waves of Beatles fans and Deadheads, but they introduce new generations to old talent.

Music festivals are also valuable tools for musicians and listeners alike. Music festivals open doors for bands looking to make it big who have been missed thus far by record deals. Music festivals open doors for listeners, too. At jazz festivals, jazz fans can discover new jazz artists they enjoy. At folk centered festivals, folk fans discover new folk artists. The larger festivals allow attendees to discover new genres and artists. These festivals often host bands that various demographics listen to, across age and gender. In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and The Beasty Boys played at Bonnaroo, with Grizzly Bear and the Zac Brown Band. Jenny Lewis and Lucinda Williams were featured as well.

Music festivals are centered around the bands they host. The skill and talent ranges from unprecedented to arguably awful. As I mentioned before, I've seen some great acts. I have also seen some pitiful ones. However, what people want most is a good time. Thus the few dismal, nails-on-chalkboard acts are forgivable. Music festivals allow friends and family to get together. They provide an excuse to put life on hold and step back from the rat race; screaming “road trip!” and demand you break out your brightest colored clothing. Anything neon or striped will do, tye-dye is best. Camping inches from hundreds of others in grassy fields, coaxing ramen noodles on camp stoves and parking in either sun or mud for three days, on top of little to no technology, fosters commradery. Friendships are made despite one’s age, hometown or CD collections. It all depends on who stakes their blanket next to you in front of the main stage, or who might happen to prop their tent up next to yours.

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