15 of the Best Reasons It’s Worth Traveling For That Music Festival High
1. Road Trippin’
Nothing gets you more pumped to see the show than a fun road trip with your buddies. Don’t let distance from the festival keep you home. See it as a chance to travel, see some free sights on the way, and as a pilgrimage you can celebrate once you finally make it.
2. Wonderful Experiences, Wonderful Friends
People accumulate a lot of friends in their lifetime, but the closest ones always tend to be the friends who understand good music, and love it as much as you do. So you need to spend as much time with those special friends as possible, because no one gets you more than those you share these special experiences with.
3.Keep the Legacy Alive
Before the Dead, following a band around on tour was not a lifestyle yet. Building that lifestyle through their 50 years as a band and the help of our own Peter Shapiro allowed the seeds to be planted in the ‘90s to keep the streak going. Festival goers are the new Deadheads, and in this age of technology they are taking the movement to extreme heights. If you hop on the wave you and your friends will be making history.
4.Add to the Flock
For every festival my friends have traveled to, there was a full day of stories. Stories so enticing that I had to see for myself. So when you inevitably return home with these stories, you could be birthing a new festival goer. The beautiful thing about these festivals is the more people that come the richer the experience, so you can change your friends lives with something as little as your road trip stories, or the look on your face when you return.
5.The Sights
When you are traveling accross many states, you could either power through them to get to where you need to be or you could stop and take in all the different sights and regional traditions. And when you finally get to where you’re going, be sure to explore the city outside of the festival as well. At the Lock’n festival for example, you could visit the Starhill Brewery and enjoy original beer, great food, visit the tap room and various musical and charity events.
6.The Memories
Between the conversations you have, the sights you see, the setbacks from minor to major, and all of the great times had at the show, you will cherish these memories more than you could think. The high of the festival hangs over you for a few weeks and you relive the memories with such clarity that the memories will resonate long after you have retired from adventure.
7.Catch Your Band While You Can
A main struggle of adult live music fans is the fact that life is busy, schedules are demanding, and it’s very hard to make time for your favorite band when they are only in your area for the night. That’s why festivals are great. Although you may need to travel farther than you want to, they have tons of different bands and it won’t be difficult to find where your band is at. And more often than not, they play multiple sets throughout the days, so you’d be silly not to take advantage.
8.The People You Meet
The interactions throughout your trips will stick to you way more than you might think. The random encounters in a diner, at a rest stop, or when you’ve made it to the show are things you will remember whenever you think of the trip. Some of the most meaningful interactions are the people complimenting your band shirt, or asking where your coming from, or where you are headed. These can turn into some great talks that not only kill time but give you something special to take with you the rest of the way.
9.There’s an Artist for Everybody
Whether you are into rock, bluegrass, jam bands, electronic, or hip hop, there will always be an act for you. At Lock’n in particular as well as many festivals alike, there are multiple stages that touch every base of the music you are coming to see.
10.The Craziness
Part of the fun of travelling to a festival is getting out of some sticky situations. There’s always some sort of set back on a trip, and living through it to speak about it is yet another great memory. Maybe your friend left his bag at the show 5 hours ago, or you left your friend in another state. Ideally you want to make it through with no problems, but part of this lifestyle is taking chances, and some challenges keep it fresh.
11.All the Greats have done it
Whether they were in the band or just along for the ride, many great figures in history have partook in a legedary road trip. We’re not saying yours is going to be Merry Prankster level of legendary, but if you get out there you will still understand what all the hype is about.
12.You Will Become Closer To Your Friends
After being in a car with your friends for hours on end, you learn a good deal about them as well as your relationship. When the trip gets grueling, true colors come out, and you can learn how to deal with certain friends better and also get some perspective on how they deal with you. Since it is already implied that these are your best friends, your extended family, pushing through these learning experiences will only make you all closer.
13.You Learn About Yourself
Being out on the road reduces you to your truest form in many ways. You are not home with all your resources on standby, you need to put in more of an effort to sustain yourself, and you need to protect yourself in a lot of ways. Doing this allows you to reflect on some of your fears and shortcomings, and more often than not overcoming them. You might leave feeling a bit more self sufficient.
14.More Ideas For Next Time
If you are paying attention to all the memories and sights that you gather, then most states that you pass through should give you a little list of future adventures. Doing a road trip right is collecting all the small experiences so they can be turned into the main destination down the line.
15.The Music Is Worth The Wait
Most people in the festival community will tell you that music is the best high that they can get, and no amount of distance can get in the way of that. You will find the festival experience mirrors life in a lot of ways. All the trials and tribulations are worth it to keep your soul happy. No matter how long you travel, it will all be worth it.