Music festivals are about more than just music. They’re about exciting new experiences,

unforgettable memories with friends, and the adrenaline from live performances. Atlanta is a city where anyone can enjoy any genre of music. Summer is the perfect season to go to concerts and hear bands perform; there are free weeks, not just weekends, the weather is warm, and the days are long. This summer, some Westminster students showed their passion for rocking out by traveling out of state to attend music festivals.

     Created in 1991 Lollapalooza is an annual music festival that features alternative rock,

heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic music bands and artists. Alongside the music are dance and comedy performances and even craft booths. In just four days the event hosts more than 160,000 people, all of whom come together to have a great time. Through their diverse range of performers, Lollapalooza features up and coming artists and helps showcase new artists. Among the artists who have performed at Lollapalooza and made it big time are Of Monsters and Men, Coldplay, Kanye West, and Imagine Dragons. This year, Lollapalooza was held Aug. 3 through Aug. 6 in Grant Park, Illinois. Headliners included Chance the Rapper, Blink-182, the Killers, DJ Snake, and Arcade Fire. They also featured lesser known artists like French singer-songwriter Jain, and American pop musician Flint Eastwood.

      “There we’re a ton of great artists […] and it was a very full lineup,” said senior Brendan Dolan, who attended Lollapalooza with fellow seniors John Abernathy and Brantly Black.

     Besides enjoying the music, the three seniors tried new foods and met other attendees of the event.

     “Many local food places set up there for the weekend, so there were a lot of new foods to try,” said Dolan. “[Black] and I tried a lobster corn dog that was really good. There were at least a hundred thousand people there each day, we saw and met some different types of people. It was mainly music, but there was definitely some hanging out.”

     The annual music festival Bannaroo took place from June 8 to June 11 this summer

in Manchester, Tennessee. The performers have a variety of styles and genres of music, from indie to rock to country. During the festival, there are ample opportunities to keep busy: there were yoga classes, food, art, and even a 5k run. Bannaroo is all about creating a community and family during their few days together. This music festival brings strangers close together – literally and physically – by having attendees camp.

      “You bring your car and camping gear,” said senior Brianna Resuta. “We got lucky and only would have short walks, but some people would have to walk thirty minutes to get to places from their cars. There were about a hundred thousand people there, which was crazy. There was a point when I stood on top of my car and looked out. I could see the stages, and then for about a mile I just saw people and cars and tents everywhere. It was really cool.”

     Typically, newer or less known artists would perform earlier in the day and headliners

performed in the evening. Resuta used this time during the day to get to know the other campers near them. After all, Bannaroo encourages everyone to give off good vibes and interact with others while at the festival.

      “Most people bring a canopy for your tent to block the sun, and our neighbors didn’t have one,” said Resuta. “So, we told them if they wanted to hang out with us and lounge out of the sun under our canopy they could. They ended up giving us food, talking with us, and ended up being really sweet. There are a lot of great people at Bannaroo. Everyone was really friendly and they even had something called High Five Friday where everyone would go around high-fiving each other all day. It felt like you knew everyone and everyone was judge-free and really awesome.”

       When they weren’t mingling with other people they went to different tents that each served different purposes.

       “You could watch movies at one tent, there were comedy shows at others, and food stations all over. There was so much you could do besides listening to music.”

     From Sept. 16 to Sept. 17 the annual music festival Music Midtown took place in Atlanta’s

very own Piedmont Park. Music Midtown hosts over thirty artists on four different stages throughout the park and has been doing so since 1994. A few of the headliners for this year include Bruno Mars, Mumford and Sons, and Future.

     “It’s hard to choose, but I’m probably most excited to see Bruno Mars because I think it’s going to be a really fun and flashy show,” said sophomore Kate Zeising.

       Besides music there’s food to enjoy, and even a Ferris Wheel overlooking the festival for you to take a spin on and enjoy Atlanta’s skyline. Music Midtown is a popular music festival for Westminster students to relax and enjoy with their friends after a long week of school.

       “I like that it takes place during the school year because even though it’s stressful to figure out when I can get my work done, I know my friends and I won’t be out of town,” said Zeising. “I know once we’re there we can spend our time just having fun and not worrying about our workload. I think Music Midtown is special especially to Atlanta high schoolers because most of us don’t get the opportunity often to go to a music festival on the weekends with our friends.”

     Lollapalooza, Bannaroo, Music Midtown, and other music festivals set a scene where anyone can have an exciting time and take a break from life. Music Festivals offer amazing experiences and memories attendees will never forget.

       “I’ve been to about 75 concerts, in Atlanta and out of Atlanta,” said Resuta. “Getting to go to concerts is an amazing experience, for the music and the other aspects that come with it.”

Concerts also allow students to relax from the stresses of school and life.

“I had a really stressful week before Music Midtown with homework and sports,” said senior Sam Blau. “But hearing Bruno Mars and chilling with my friends really cleared my mind.”