With only three weeks left of class and the snow finally behind us (knock on wood), for many of us our thoughts have turned towards the ever-tempting thought of summer—so close yet so far. Here in Wisconsin, the highlight of summer is none other than Summerfest. Aside from Door County, the Green Bay Packers, and of course, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Summerfest is Wisconsin’s claim to fame that reminds the rest of the country the dairy state has more to offer than farmers who like to eat cheese.
When the lineup is finally released, chatter immediately springs up about how this Summerfest lineup is the best yet, and this year was no exception. Here are the headlining artists performing at the Marcus Amphitheater for Summerfest 2014:
June 25th- Bruno Mars
June 26th- Lady Gaga
June 27th- Brad Paisley
June 29th- Outkast
July 2nd- Dave Matthews Band
July 3rd- Zac Brown Band
July 4th- MÖTLEY CRÜE
July 5th- Fall Out Boy and Paramore
July 6th- Usher
Personally, the beauty of Summerfest does not lie in paying for a specific ticket with a specific seat number to see a specific band. The true Summerfest experience is elbowing your way through what appears to be the entire state of Wisconsin in order to get closer to the front of a ground stage. It’s the joy of finding a picnic table to stand up on and not caring that the weight of you plus the other 19 people crammed on it will cause it to snap at any moment. It’s being able to see some of your favorite bands for no more than the $17 entrance fee.
As college students, we are no strangers to fighting our way through huge crowds of people. So why not put these skills to use and see one of the ground stage concerts Summerfest has to offer. Here are some of the top ground stage headliners appearing at Summerfest this year:
Arctic Monkeys
Rise Against
Kip Moore
The Neighbourhood
Fitz and the Tantrums
Ludacris
The Fray
Airborne Toxic Event
B.o.B.
Robert DeLong
Girl Talk
Cheap Trick
A Great Big World
Jake Miller
Switchfoot
Timeflies
Scotty McCreery
SoMo
Matisyahu
For the official lineup and performance dates, visit the Summerfest lineup. If you’re staying in Wisconsin this summer, take a few days off of work, grab some friends, and experience what Summerfest has to offer.