What is the first thing you think of when you think of the word festival? Could it be drunken dedication to cultures complete with beer and enough funnel cake to feed a small country? Before venturing to art school, that is exactly what I pictured. Now, the only thing I can think about is one word: music.
Festival season is almost upon us! It is the glorious time where you and your closest friends all pile into a car, sleep in tents, and use wet wipes as showers for a week and listen to some of your favorite bands. Now, this is no small adventure. By the end of the festival you go to, you could have met people from all over the country. Sometimes, the chances are even as big as meeting someone from the opposite side of the world.
Music festivals bring people together. No matter your skin color, native language, spiritual beliefs or else anything in between, music is something that is extremely important to our generation. With roots dating back to Monterey Music Festival in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969, music festivals have evolved into larger than life events with an experience that sets record attendance every year. Being so close to so many different festivals can get overwhelming. Where should you go? Who is headlining? How much are the tickets and when do they go on sale? Look no further. Without further adieu, I give you the low down on some of Atlanta’s upcoming shindigs for your eventual listening pleasure.
Savannah Stopover Music Festival: March 6-8, 2014
Savannah, GA
Want some live music? Look no further than your back yard. Hosted the weekend before SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, Savannah Stopover will give you the mini SXSW experience without having to trek all the way to Texas. This year, up and coming bands such as Wye Oak, Small Black and Oberhofer are set to headline. The price for a three day badge is $75.
Savannah Music Festival 2014: March 20-April 5, 2014
Savannah, GA
The Savannah Music Festival is really beefing up their line up this year by adding headliners and indie fan favorites The Avett Brothers to this year’s festival. The Savannah Music Festival is “dedicated to presenting a world-class celebration of the musical arts”, and prides itself on being “the most distinctive cross-genre music festival in the world”. Tickets are $25-75 per performance.
Magnetic Music Festival: April 12, 2014
Hampton, GA
This up and coming festival set out to out-do everyone in their first year of operation. And out-do they did. With headliners like Kid Cudi, Flux Pavilion, Adventure Club, and Zeds Dead this three stage event set the bar pretty hard for a one day event. This year’s line up is still in the works, but tickets are already on sale. However, because of the high demand, online pre-sales are already sold out. Stay tuned via magneticmusicfestival.com for more information on the next batch of tickets.
Counterpoint Festival: April 25-27, 2014
Kingston Downs, GA
As the pinnacle of music festivals in the Greater Atlanta area, Counterpoint has constantly fused both up and coming artists with already popular artists to create the most mind blowing weekend possible. Headlining the festival is Outcast, a group that got me through most of middle school with a sassy attitude. Following them are groups such as Pretty Lights, Foster the People, and STS9. The early bird tickets are already gone, but the three day advanced ticket can be yours for $180 without camping and $206 with.