Festivals of 2019

Forecastle Festival by Emily Richardson

There are very few lineups that I would drop everything and travel thousands of miles across the continent to see. “This is just one of those special occasions,” I thought to myself while I stood, jet lagged, in the smouldering Arizona sun waiting to be let past the gates of Band Splash Festival. The date was April 28, and having flown into the state from Canada, the climate was an extreme difference from the snow back at home. Maybe that was one of the things I should’ve thought about when I was impulse buying plane tickets for myself and my best friend.

So who had I caved and decided to treat myself to a trip to see live? Perhaps the most stacked lineup I’ve ever seen in my time of being an avid concertgoer — consisting of Super Whatevr, Chapel, iDKHOW, The Wrecks, SWMRS, Twin XL, Sum 41, and even more. To spice things up to a whole new level, the entire festival took place at a waterpark, with the main stage located inside a wave pool. It was any indie kid’s dream come true. And as if I didn’t already know, the whole experience truly showed me the importance of festival settings in today’s scene as a form of connecting music fans — regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and yes, even favorite band.

My plans began as a joke around a month before the festival date. Being close with Super Whatevr and missing my chats with them while on tour, I tweeted the band account asking if I should book a flight to Arizona just to see them again. The response I received was “If you want to,” which is an incredibly dangerous game to play when you’re talking to someone like me. The next day, I was booking my flight to Arizona. Band Splash was kind enough to send me a free festival ticket after they heard how far I was traveling, which was absolutely unexpected and lovely. With all details finalized but limited time to let my decision sink in, I spent the next segment of time preparing for the big day to arrive.

The entire adventure began the day before the festival. Pushing aside any fears about flight delays and obstacles, considering this isn’t something I’d ever done before, I walked into the Toronto Pearson airport as if I was walking on air. After a layover in Chicago, which only seemed to drag out into the longest few hours of my life, we finally landed in Phoenix that evening. I truly cannot describe the breathtaking views and feelings I had while looking out the window upon the lights of the city, realizing how far I was from home and that I was seeing my favorite band in this foreign place the next day, but it is something I will never, ever forget.

After collecting ourselves, we were greeted by another friend who was not only going to be our tour guide for the next few days, but also just happened to be the same person who introduced me to Super Whatevr way back in 2017. All I wanted to do at that point was sleep for five days straight, but I couldn’t come to the southwest without stopping for slushies at Sonic, which doesn’t exist back at home for me. We didn’t settle down until after midnight, but it was all worth it for the full American experience.

Despite the list full of places I wanted to visit while I was in the area for the next couple days, when I woke up the next morning, it was finally the day I’d been counting down until. After spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to put together a cute outfit that accommodates the dry heat of the Arizona environment, eating at Waffle House for my first time, and stopping for a quick Target run to pick up Maggie Rogers’ latest CD, we flash forward to that aforementioned point where I’m standing in line to enter Band Splash Festival. Though the lineup was long and it seemed like we’d never get in, I killed the time by messaging with Super Whatevr on Instagram about how excited I was for the day.

When we finally got past security, I walked past the festival gates and have never felt so overwhelmed in my life. There was so much to see and do! I circled the festival until I familiarized myself with the area, instantly feeling welcomed by all the other Super Whatevr fans who complimented my shirt that I purchased at their show the month before. It wasn’t long before I started running into all the band members that I’d flown there to see. Much to my surprise, almost everyone knew exactly who I was and where I’d come from to be at this festival.

Shortly after arriving, I was even given the opportunity to meet one of the wonderful Kinda Cool contributors, Mia. After running into each other while I was chatting with Skyler McKee from Super Whatevr about the first issue of the magazine, we entered the wave pool that the main stage was built inside so we could enjoy Twin XL’s set together. It was my very first time seeing the band after supporting them since they released their first single, and I must say that it was a perfect start to my afternoon. With a high energy set and a crowd based in the same state as they began to get their break in (thanks to The Maine), it was a flawless mixture for a successful opening set. Twin XL’s frontman Cameron Walker brought the first of many enthusiastic comments heard throughout the day about playing a set inside a pool. It was just as thrilling to all the bands as it was to the music fans — maybe the main reason why the festival was such a massive hit with people from all over.

I departed from my third-row spot in the wave pool to wander around and enjoy myself from all around, but what I’d been waiting for the most was still yet to come. I constantly checked my watch, waiting for an appropriate time to walk over to the side stage and get a barricade spot for Chapel and Super Whatevr, who played back-to-back. One of my favorite memories from the entire day happened in between this feeling and the start of Chapel’s set. I ventured over to the side stage while the band before was still playing. They were called Love Like Fiction and I’d never heard of them before. I entered the crowd, expecting to just bop up and down for a few minutes and maybe find a new band to look up when I got home, but what I wasn’t expecting was to be sucked into the mosh pit. I had no idea who this band was, but that didn’t matter in that moment. Nobody in the crowd cared who I was or where I came from. I was in the audience and I wanted to have fun, therefore I was their friend. I couldn’t yell out any lyrics since I didn’t know them, but I spent the band’s entire last few songs in the pit having the time of my life. That was truly a “woah” moment for me, where I realized just how unique festival settings can be in the sense that everyone is tied together and bonded for the day, but it doesn’t have to be for any particular band.

After Love Like Fiction ended, enough of the crowd left the area that I was able to get front and center barricade for two of my favorite bands who I was about to see. Another big moment that fits my thesis about festival settings happened during Chapel’s set when lead singer Carter Hardin’s laptop stopped working. Where an opening act in a regular venue show may be forced into cutting their set short or leaving the stage early under these circumstances, everyone stuck it out while the problem was resolved. The crowd continued to sing the band’s songs while drummer Kortney Grinwis told jokes and entertained us. Nobody was frustrated or impatient over the mishap, but rather understanding and encouraging towards Carter. Due to the positive nature of their audience, they were able to get back on their feet and continue their set with no more interruptions. I danced the entire set away, screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs that I hadn’t been able to scream with them in nearly a year’s time. The unexpected happened after they were done — Carter came into the crowd directly to seek me out and thank me for traveling all this distance for the show. Out of habit, I began introducing myself after he said hi, but I was cut off with an “Oh, I know who you are.” In that moment, I felt so appreciated for something that nobody else in that crowd could relate to. I am so incredibly grateful for Chapel and can’t wait to see them again — hopefully next time with less boiling heat and technology errors.

Next was Super Whatevr. The whole reason I was there. I didn’t think it was even possible, but I managed to jump and scream to their set even more than I did to Chapel, which is saying a lot. Every ounce of energy in my body was used on that set. It was the final show of the entire Never Nothing album cycle, and I’m just so thankful that I got to be there to witness the special moment. I got to experience songs live that the band rarely plays during their typical sets. I wasn’t able to see the crowd behind me, but I know that fans were lined up for rows back, enjoying themselves just as much as me. It was truly such a special moment, closing off an era that meant more to the band and fans than words can explain, and being in attendance was the most incredible experience.

I debriefed for a little while by talking to members of Chapel, Super Whatevr, and Twin XL while regaining my energy. I watched The Wrecks’ set from afar, but the fact that I was surrounded by so many people I cared about made it so that perfect view couldn’t have mattered less. During my debrief time, I managed to grab a minute to check the Twitter group chat dedicated to this day that I’d been added to weeks earlier. Though I wasn’t a huge part of conversation with the exception of needing a couple quick favors, I found it truly amazing to look through the days’ messages and see all these people who barely knew each other, but were there for each other throughout the entire festival. Helping them find water stations, driving them home from the festival, taking things to their lockers, finding out where each band was meeting fans.

If you still can’t see how festival environments are the most incredible concert setting you’ll ever experience, I’ve got one last moment to discuss. It was during SWMRS’ set. I hadn’t seen the band live since 2017, but it’s impossible to ignore their loud political voices, always fighting for minority groups and encouraging anyone with Republican beliefs to leave their shows immediately. So it didn’t come as a surprise that one of the first things they spoke to their crowd was in support of love, acceptance, and equality. With a few sentences that definitely needed to be heard, lead singer Cole Becker claimed his support for the LGBTQ+ community in their fight for rights. Without prompting, the crowd began an uproar of cheering and hollering that they believe in this too. At the end of the day, it was really interesting to think about the fact that every last person on festival grounds identifies differently, comes from a different location and background, and is here for a different reason. There is no way I was the only one who had traveled a long distance to attend the festival, but no one else was there that day for the exact same reason as the next person. We all have a different band who inspired us to just buy those tickets and go, different circumstances that cause us to interpret things in certain ways, different things running through our minds. But at a festival, this doesn’t matter. Someone who loves the most pop-based band on the lineup and someone who’s only there for the most hardcore band can be bonded for the day. Who you are doesn’t matter when you’re at a music festival surrounded by others who are just as passionate as yourself.

I had one hell of a time reflecting on all of this in the dark, sitting on the grass after the festival was over. The last festival I’d experienced was Warped Tour, which had the exact same environment, I just hadn’t quite noticed how special it was yet. I will never take my Arizona trip for granted. It was definitely the most insane lastminute decision I’ve ever made, but it taught me a lot about myself and how I wish to interact with others. I wish I could share the feeling of a music festival environment with every single person in this world who is just as passionate about music as myself. Being bonded to thousands of people with little in common for an entire day as if we’d all known each other for life might just be the most special thing I’ve ever been a part of.

Written by: Meg Clemmensen

Color photos by: Sophie Harris

Black & white photos by: Meg Clemmensen