MF #7
Firefly Music Festival 2015
Dates
June 18th – 21st, 2015
Location
Dover, Delaware
Reason
Fun
It was that time of year, Dave and I were heading back to Firefly for our third year in a row. We felt like festival veterans. We knew where to go, what to expect, and we couldn’t wait to experience the best weekend of the year.
While there was music on Thursday night, the energy in the crowd was calm. We spent the majority of the day setting up camp and mentally preparing for the rest of the weekend. Friday kicked off our official start of the festival. We were camping with a larger group this year and the group was moving slow. We finally headed into the event around 3 pm. The afternoon sun was scorching. Energy was low as the majority of the crowd melted under the 95-degree day. Luckily, the Pavilion Stage offered some relief from the sun and had a killer lineup.
Up front for Odesza – the first big set of the weekend.
DJ Mustard got the party started. When his set ended, our crew decided to stay put and push forward. This turned out to be a terrific idea. We found ourselves up front and dead center for Odesza. This was one of the best sets of the entire festival and immediately set the tone for the weekend. Leaving Odesza, we decided to stick with the tropical house theme and made our way to the Backyard Stage for Kygo.
Kygo played an extremely energetic and upbeat set. Spirits were high, everyone was settling into the weekend, and we were all having a great time. There was a split on where to head to next. Several members of the crew wanted to head directly to Zedd to get as close as possible. I was not going to miss Sir Paul McCartney.
Sir Paul McCartney blowing up Firefly Music Festival
Paul McCartney is an absolute legend, but I did catch his performance earlier that summer in Washington DC. Many of my favorite bands play completely different sets every time you see them. Paul McCartney does not do this. While the show was great, he did play pretty much the exact same setlist from the previous show. Sir Paul, you have around 10,000 good songs. Just please mix it up a little bit.
Zedd turned out to be a bit of a bust, so we still made the right decision on heading to Paul McCartney. Out of all the amazing DJs I’ve seen, Zedd has a rather repetitive style. The production is impressive and the vocals are great, but the drops are pretty much all the same. Luckily that set was just the topping to an already amazing day.
Saturday was another sunny day on the festival grounds. Spirits were high and the overall mood of the crowd was infectious. Our group was moving and Saturday was a blur of activity. We went from set to set to set. Matt & Kim stand out amongst the list, but all day we were looking forward to Kid Cudi followed by Steve Aoki.
While Mary was back, Molly was camping with us this year for the first time. We all had a few samples here and there, but the group was actively saving our supply for Saturday night. 10 minutes into Kid Cudi, just as soon as it started, the show came to an abrupt halt. Music was cut, the lights came on, and the festival organizers spoke on the emergency microphone repeatedly stating, “There is a hurricane incoming. Please go back to your cars, take down your tents, and sleep in your vehicles.”
The night had taken a turn. With no other options, we decided to comply with the instructions, headed back to our site, and took down our tent. I ended up sleeping across the back seat of my friend’s Ford Escape. At 6 feet, it wasn’t exactly a comfortable fit. The rain would stop, I would open the car door and stretch out my legs, only to have the rain return a few minutes later to force me back into the vehicle. All of the crew had rough nights jammed into tight spaces, but nobody goes to a music festival to get a good night’s sleep.
We woke the next morning to fantastic news. Steve Aoki had rescheduled his canceled set for that afternoon. We were not going to miss it. At this point, I should make a confession. While I had been to a good amount of electronic dance music, I still didn’t really get it. I could appreciate the music, but I still found myself preferring to listen to rock or rap in my free time. Dance music had still not sunk in.
Luckily, we had both our unused Saturday supply and our Sunday stash all ready to go. We decided to take pretty much all of it for Steve Aoki’s set. As the roll set in, the world got big and extremely bright. The sun was out, the bass was turned up loud, and well over 10,000 people danced in sync without care. I looked around and I got it.
Vibrating from the bass, sweaty, and smiling we left Steve Aoki fully recovered from the rough night. Things tend to work themselves out at a music festival, and this rescheduled set was just a perfect example of things working out for the best.
I separated from the group on Sunday for the first time. It was my first taste of the freedom that going solo at a music festival can bring. While initially intimidating, going solo at a festival will open up a world of possibilities. I enjoyed the Hozier set, but soon found myself seeking the comfort of the group.
Snoop Dogg’s performance at Firefly Music Festival – Insane!!!
We all met up for Snoop Dogg. While there are many “cool” artists, Snoop is the coolest. A crowd member had rolled up a blunt around the size of a beer can. Seeking recognition, they attached the blunt to a totem (sign on a stick) that said “Snoop will you smoke my blunt?”. At the sight of the blunt, the crowd pushed the sign holder to the front. Without missing a beat, Snoop snagged the blunt off the sign, admired it publicly, lit it up on stage, and performed the rest of the song. At the conclusion of the song, Snoop invited the guy and his friends backstage. What a legend!
We were all pretty exhausted from a long weekend. Our group found a relaxing spot in the woods to sit down and enjoy The Killers. This was one of those sets where it felt like everyone knew every single song. They are without a doubt the best christian rock band. White Panda closed the weekend out with one last high energy set.
Firefly 2015 was complete. While I certainly had a blast, leaving the festival grounds this year had an entirely different tone. It felt like the end of an era. I didn’t say it out loud, but I knew I wouldn’t be back at Firefly next year. I was headed back to California, unsure of when I would return to the east coast or the festival grounds.