On Oct. 9 and 10, I attended my very first music festival at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. It was chaotic and anxiety-inducing, but it was so fun to let go of my preconceived notions of what my experience would look like.
I have always wanted to go to a big music festival, but have often been deterred due to the expenses of attending, or not wanting to miss school or work. This year, I decided there was no time like the present. After I saw who was playing during the second weekend, my fate was sealed and I booked my flight from St. Louis to Austin.Â
Concerts have always been an exciting experience for me. It is like my Met Gala. I craft the perfect outfit months in advance to match the artist’s aesthetic. I even plan down to the minute details, such as painting my nails the perfect shade to complement the vibes of the music. Every aspect of my experience must be carefully thought through; otherwise, I am convinced that the event is doomed to be ruined, or, less dramatically, will not be as fun.
I listen to the artist’s music on a rotation in anticipation of the event. For this festival, my experience was bound to be a little different. With the sheer amount of artists performing, I could not physically commit to memory set lists and the lyrics of each song. Honestly, that helped my experience.Â
Too often, I get caught up in the whirlwind of a concert. I want to ensure I am getting the full experience by knowing each song by heart. While I still knew a ton of the songs, I found myself more drawn to being in the moment rather than worrying about being a “fake fan.” I am done worrying about how to curate my best experience.Â
This is not to say I will not still be obsessively planning little details of whatever concert or festival I am going to. That is half the fun after all, if you ask me and my love of a good theme. Rather, I think there is some fun to be found in the unknown. There is peace to be found when I can relax and not worry about having a picture-perfect time.
During the festival, I was stressing about which artists to see and which to sacrifice from my schedule. Hour by hour, there are multiple artists playing on different stages. You have to make difficult decisions about what is more worth your time. I lucked out for the most part. I was able to see beloved artists such as indie pop artist ROLE MODEL and indie band Cage the Elephant, although their sets overlapped. Folk artist and activist Hozier headlined. I was able to see his entire set and it was life-changing. But then, tragedy struck. On Saturday night, pop star Sabrina Carpenter and The Strokes, an indie rock band, headlined and played at nearly the exact same time.
I was at a complete loss. I could not choose between the two. That would be an utter betrayal of my inconclusive Spotify statistics. I could not be a rock and a pop girly all in one night. Then I decided: I would be both.Â
At concerts, I normally want to get as close as I can to get the best view. At the festival, I decided that was not in the cards. I was all the better for it, too. By standing on the outskirts of the crowd, my family and I were able to bounce back and forth between the two artists when we wanted to. Although we were missing parts of each set, it would help me sleep at night knowing I was able to experience both artists live, at least a little.Â
There is no such thing as a perfect festival experience. It is so easy to get wrapped up in an expectation of how an event is supposed to go. If you let it go and enjoy the moment, it is easier to look back and not feel the anxiety and stress that comes with perfectionism.Â
Overall, I loved the chaos of music festivals, even if I am normally an indecisive planner. No matter the perfect circumstances, it is so unifying and downright euphoric to experience live music.