Summers during college are the prime time to see all of your favorite musicians. With most people on tour rising seniors having their last summers of freedom before most of them embark on work filled summers.
Like most college students, I partake in my fair share of concerts, and take advantage of my availability while I can. I was able to attend the Firefly Music Festival in Dover Delaware, the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival at Jones Beach, and I was able to see the Chainsmokers at Forest Hill Stadium in queens.
The Chainsmokers was my first concert of my three part summer concert tour. Invited last minute by my roommates, and only knowing the song Closer, I decided to shell out the ninety dollars, get a CD, and prepare myself for a fun night with friends. The Chainsmokers ended up being in my top three favorite concerts, and I’ve seen quite a few people in concert. They were truly able to hype up and charm the crowd, and had cute skits to entice the crowd and make them laugh.
Forest Hill was also a great place to see someone in concert. A tennis stadium turned concert venue, we sat in the general admissions section, sitting us in the bleachers. VIP ticket holders were able to stand on the tennis court, and get as close to the stage as the the other concert goers would allow. I, personally, enjoyed sitting in the risers. I had a great view, and was able to sit during the not as well known openers, saving my energy for the big finale. I would definitely recommend the Chainsmokers in concert to anyone on the fence about it, it was definitely worth the money.
The next in my concert series was the FireFly Music Festival, which was only four days after the Chainsmokers’ concert. I traveled to Delaware with three close friends, for the second year in a row, to Dover Delaware to camp out at a four day music festival full of good music, good vibes, and great times. Some of the performers we couldn’t wait to see included The Bleachers, Twenty One Pilots, Kesha, Weezer, Chance the Rapper, The Weeknd, Muse, The Capital Cities, Misterwives, and many more.
Firefly is always a great time, for those who have never gone. Unlike many festivals, which promote rave culture and rallying (nothing against these of course), Firefly is very down to Earth, focusing on spreading good vibes amongst all festival goers. As one of my friends wonderfully worded it, “Firefly is the one place where you could be completely naked and feel absolutely comfortable.” If you haven’t been to a festival, and are looking to ease yourself into it, Firefly is definitely the place to do it!
The final concert in my concert series was actually a complete surprise. I entered a contest through the school’s radio station, MVL Radio, and ended up winning two, two-day passes to the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival at Jones Beach! It was a great way to kick off the last weekend of summer with a good friend before we parted and went away to our separate universities.
Jones Beach is a beautiful venue. We were able to get the last room in a good hotel, and Uber our way down to the stadium rather cheaply each night. The breeze was wonderful, keeping us cool as we danced the night away to Zedd, Demi Lovato, We The Kings (Quad Jam 2017 Round 2), The Capital Cities, Echosmith, and many more artists! I was so thankful to MVL for giving me the opportunity to have a great weekend.
PS Jones Beach has the BEST Churros ever.
I would recommend that any college student take advantage of their remaining summers and free days. You may be tired at the end of the summer, maybe even more tired than when the week started, but it’ll be worth it to see your favorite artists, make life long memories, and spend time with good people while you can. Because soon enough you won’t be able to make festivals, all nighters, and late night adventures a norm. So take advantage while you can.