Festival Fashion Needs to End

Yesterday I went shopping at Charlotte Russe where I saw a line of accessories called the Coachella line. Because of Coachella, festivals have lately started becoming a fashion statement and it needs to end. Stars like Kendall and Kylie Jenner get paid $40,000 by a brand to be seen at Coachella for just an hour, and celeb fashion sitings like this is what has caused this ridiculous statement.

When you're at a festival, especially a camping one, why be fashionable when you can be comfortable? I see girls all the time with a full face of makeup, some sort of uncomfortable shoes, and a fringe top. Ladies, it is 90 degrees outside and you're standing in the hot humid sun for hours, nobody gives a damn how your makeup looks or how you're rockin' those short heels. Not to mention, any type of fringe is a nightmare when you're making a trip to the port-o-potty. I get it, you want to look cute, but I'm sorry to tell you that many people care to that extent. If you want to get noticed, where something bright and colorful or wear something with a popular image on it or a funny saying. But more importantly, wear something that will keep you comfortable for hours and hours in the hot sun.

So please, let's end this madness and enjoy the festivals for what they're supposed to be, THE MUSIC!!

Wait.. How Much?!

Earlier, I made a post about how much I spend on average at a music festival and saying I could buy a car with how much I have spent. Well, I decided to just add up the ticket prices and see how much I've spent on the most important part. With Decadence coming up, I realized that this will be my 20th attended festival and was finally curious as to how much I've spent over the past four years. I averaged the ticket prices at $275 each since my first two years of attending fests were my cheaper years and it's only been this year that I've spent well over $300 a ticket.

My average total: $5,500

Lesson of this: Don't add up the ticket prices for your own amusement and make sure you absolutely love doing this before you decide to add up the price.

Luckily for me, I view this as a cheap and awesome bunch of mini vacations.

Too Many Options!!

The one problem about wanting to go to a music festival for New Year's Eve is that there is a new lineup being dropped about every other week with a new festival in a different city. With all these great lineups, there's just too many options! The past two weeks, my friend group has been jumping back and forth between 3 different New Year's Eve options.

Lights All Night just released their lineup with DJ's I've yet to see, like Jauz and Yellow Claw, which is almost unheard of now. Dallas is so much closer and the cheapest option, but the people and the vibes that are there are not ideal. I've had awesome times at this fest, but I've also ran into a lot of rude people that have killed the positive frequency I was running on. I had a friend of a friend get punched in the stomach for no reason here. People can be ridiculous and rowdy at this fest.

Reaction released their full lineup and it's stacked with not only great DJ's, but some amazing bands, like CHVRCHES and Cherub, and rappers too, like Run the Jewels and Chance the Rapper. The problem with this one is it's in Chicago. We're getting to the point where it's hard to f
ind a car to get us to these places so far away and plane tickets are just too expensive. Luckily we have free places to stay in Chicago, but the car situation is what ultimately is keeping us from this fest.

And of course Decadence, what I blogged about earlier. Granted, my friends and I already have our tickets to this one, but I would be lying if I said we were at one point going to try to sell them for other options. Decadence has the lineup, a great location, but geez is it expensive. My ticket for this two-day fest is now the same amount as my Austin City Limits ticket. This festival is more than likely going to be our final option, but it's going to be the most expensive.


The list could go on and on with how many New Year's shows I've seen and thought about going to instead. I like the fact that there are options because you know the event won't be so heavily populated with thousands of people flooding to other arenas and convention centers for different shows; but, I hate it as well. If you give me too many options, I panic and buy a festival ticket on a knee jerk reaction without thinking my options through, and then have my friends get irritated with me. I can't handle all these options! I need to just start letting my friends decide for me.

Another Weekend at Austin City Limits

Even with the high 90 degree weather, crowded stages, and the red sunburn on my back, ACL weekend 2 was one of my favorite years I've attended. Starting with the Thursday night pre-partying on 6th Street, to a fantastic ending with fireworks, ACL had it all. I got to see some shows I've never seen, and see some shows that I've already seen and was blown away by. Met so many new friends and created amazing experiences, I was not ready to go back to the real world today. So I thought the easiest way to talk about my time would be to break it down to my top 3 favorite acts, and my top 3 least favorite.

Best Acts

Disclosure

My favorite dynamic duo did not disappoint. This was one act I was most looking forward to and they delivered the BEST performance of the weekend. Their lights and visuals were amazing and looked great along their music. They played a good combination of their first album along with their newest and I would call you crazy if you didn't fall in love with it. They brought out Lion Babe and performed their latest single "Hourglass" which was beautifully put on. I could and did go on and on about this show all weekend, one of the best shows I've ever seen at ACL.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd came and he delivered an awesome performance. Even though his headlining spot only was an hour long, he gave an incredible performance and had the crowd singing along with every song, myself included. He played all his hit radio singles as well as his new album music and songs from the popular Trilogy album. He was better than I would have ever expected and would even go to say he's probably the next Michael Jackson, without the dancing and way more vulgar lyrics. I'm not a big R&B fan, but I'm definitely a fan-girl for The Weeknd.

Run The Jewels

Run The Jewels has been an act that I've been dying to see. They've been mentioned in many blogs and music news articles as a must-see performance and one of the best acts at festivals; and let me tell you, they were not wrong. Never have I been to a rap show that could hype up a crowd of the masses quite like EL-P and Killer Mike. They really got the crowd going and made me wish that I was deep in the crowd ( I'm a back of the show kind of girl, I hate standing next to sweaty people in 94 degrees). Out of all the rap acts I've seen, not many can top Run The Jewels. Even in their solid black attire, with the sun setting right on them, they put on one of the greatest performances. Props to them, I could barely dance the entire time without dying of a heat stroke.

Worst Acts

Drake

Man... I was so disappointed by this one. I love Drake and was so excited to finally see him. I had warnings from other friends who had seen him at Weekend 1 or Coachella that he was boring, of course I didn't listen because I like to form my own opinions. Unfortunately, they were right. He opened with some weaker songs and anytime he played a hit, it was never the full song. I was not having fun and was actually getting frustrated. We left to go see Deadmau5 where I saw the same set he put on at Bonnaroo, and still had a better time than at Drake. After Deadmau5 ended, we went back to Drake to see that he had brought out J.Cole, still wasn't impressed. Finally, he started playing his heavier hitting songs, but by that point we left because we were so over it. Overall, really upset about his show. Lesson learned, I'm going to listen to my peers experiences.

Leon Bridges

I love Leon Bridges, he brings that old school 50's R&B sound and he's got a smooth voice and is one talented guy. Too bad his stage performance was boring. Due to the sound of his music, it's mellow and easy going and hard to enjoy in 94 degree weather. I ended up laying down and falling asleep at his show because it was just so boring. You can have a great voice and great music, but stage presence has a huge impact on getting the crowd to like you and Leon Bridges lost me

Halsey

This was an artist I decided to check out. I've only heard her name but never listened to her music. I have found so many new artists this way and usually am never disappointed, but Halsey was not that great. I don't if it was because the screaming high school girls all around me or Halsey's attitude that she was better than everyone on the stage, but she didn't have me sold. Her opening song was amazing but the rest was pretty mediocre. I honestly blame her fans for my terrible experience at this show.


ACL is a great festival filled with great people of all ages, great music, and priceless memories. I can't wait to go back and see what I get myself into!

-Blaze

How Do I Afford All of This?

Like I've said before, I'm a festival junkee. I can't get enough of them and the minute I hear of one, I have to go to it. It's not a want, it's a need. And with more and more festivals being added to that list, that means more and more money to be spent. Let me break it down  how much I spend at a festival.

Average prices of:

Ticket - $300
Gas - $40-$65
Food- $30-$75
Merch- $30-$60
camping supplies- $30
Alcohol- $50-$100
Misc. - $150-$150
Hotel- $90

Now these prices are not the same with every event I go to, but most of them are in the higher range. Some festivals are cheaper, but those are the ones I have to get a hotel for. The ones I need a hotel for, don't really need camping supplies for that. But on average, the total comes out to be anywhere from $500-$700. I could literally buy a car if I stopped going to all these fests. No joke, last year I attended 7 different music festivals... 7. Insane amount of money and insane amount of good times.

The number one question I get is, " how do you afford to go to all of this?!" My answer; living at home with mom and dad and having a job. Since I live at home, I don't pay for rent, utilities, or groceries so therefore I have all this money from waiting tables to festival hop. Almost my entire budget goes in to my next festival, many think it's ridiculous. You may think it sucks living at home, but I know that the memories and awesome friends I've made from doing this is so much better than having my own place. I'm taking advantage of this time in my life because I know here in a few months after I graduate, it will all have to come to a halt.

Being an adult but not having to be an adult yet is exciting and I'm not ready for this to end. I really am having the best years of my life right now.

-Blaze

Festival Do's and Don'ts

With Austin City Limits weekend 1 coming up this weekend and myself attending weekend 2 next weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to write some tips on how to prepare. Luckily, ACL is a festival where you can go back to a hotel room after a full day of walking and dancing for countless hours, so you don't have to be as prepared than if you had to camp.

Do's:
Always eat a BIG breakfast. And when I say big, I mean until you absolutely can't eat another bite. Breakfast may be your only meal of the day and it'll be your biggest source of energy.

Backpacks are important, preferably a camelbak backpack because those hold water bladders.

With that being said,  DO STAY HYDRATED. I can't stress this enough. Keep drinking water because even if you're not thirsty, you're most like still dehydrated and that makes for a terrible time.

Do bring in little snacks like granola bars. Most festivals allow you to bring in small snacks.

Toilet paper. Especially for us girls. Never assume that the port-o-potties will have TP because by the end of the night, none of them will.

If you're a drinker on a budget ( like myself), smuggle it in. Best way to do that is drink the clear liquor, fill up a water bottle to the brim. You're allowed to bring in an unsealed water bottle, but the security really just checks to see if it's filled all the way.

Do be weather alert. Prepare for heat, or cold, or rain, or whatever mother nature may throw at you that weekend and make the best of it. This is about to be the best weekend of your life, don't be unprepared and have weather ruin it!

Do expect to make new friends! You'll meet the craziest people but also the nicest people and maybe even some forever friends.

Don'ts:
Don't start the party too early, you'll miss the artists you really want to see at night. Trust me.

Don't wander and lose your friends. Always make a meeting point at a certain time if your group separates or you will never find them.

Don't expect to have cell service. There are 80,000 other festival attendees all trying to use their phone at the same time.

Don't be that Guy. What do I mean by that you ask? I mean don't be that asshole that gets mad if someone wants to get closer than you to the stage, because no matter where you stand, someone will want to get closer. Don't be the guy that doesn't help out someone in need, 9/10 someone will help you when you're in need. Pretty much don't be the Debbie downer.

Don't ever underestimate getting sunburned. Just because it's October doesn't mean you can't burn to a crisp anymore. I learned that the hard way.

Don't walk into the port-o-pots barefoot. I feel like this is common sense, but I've seen it and yes you will get looked at. I am a person that loves to walk barefoot around grassy festivals but I always carry flip flops in my backpack just for that.


First time festival goers may need advice on what to pack. Well have no fear because I can give you the most important things you will need.
Packing List:
- Sunglasses/ back up pair
- Sunscreen
- At least $60 ( you may never know what will happen)
- If you don't like being in the crowd, a sheet to sit or lay on
- Small flashlight to help in the port-o-pots at night
- Hand sanitizer
- Baby wipes
-Water Bottle ( reusable)
- Backpack/camelbak
- Hair ties
- Hats ( helps with shade)
- Raincoat/ rain boots 


Austin City Limits is a wonderful weekend filled with amazing people, incredible artists, and will create beautiful memories you will cherish for a lifetime. Do have a fantastic time and happy festing!

-Blaze