Music festivals have become synonymous with summer. Chicago has Lollapalooza, Tennessee has Bonnaroo and right at the tail end of September, Atlanta has its own gem: Music Midtown. This two-day festival is the perfect way to end an awesome summer with a head-bangin' good time.
Since its revitalization in 2011, thousands of pop, rock and rap devotees now descend upon Piedmont Park to attend Music Midtown. Because I have attended the festival for the past two years, I shall offer you, dear reader, a bit of advice about how to navigate the bands, the fans and the food.
Music Midtown is offering a wide variety of options this year, from indie rock bands like the Black Lips to major rap artists like Kendrick Lamar. The festival is peppered with outstanding and obscure bands (anyone heard of Cake?), as well as musical giants, like this year's headliner, Journey (!). No matter what kind of music you're into at the moment, something is sure to pique your interest.
Now, you may be tempted to see all of the bands, but alas, you must plan to pick and choose as some shows will overlap. The gates will open around 4 p.m. on Friday, giving concert-goers plenty of time to peruse the indie rock selection, as well as the rows and rows of food trucks and concert-swag tents. Seriously, the food trucks go on forever. It is quite similar to heaven, I imagine. That is, if heaven were a park full of food trucks serving an amazing selection of food, including Southern barbeque, Mediterranean and Asian-fusion. Eat your fill, and take a listen to the North Mississippi Allstars or Drivin' N Cryin'. Festival-goers will certainly get their party on with 2 Chainz's performance, so be sure to eat dinner and then get a good spot near the stage to be a part of the action.
In addition to planning ahead, good Music Midtown strategy includes downloading the free Music Midtown app, which lets you create your own schedule and alerts you when and where your favorite bands are performing. There are three stages this year and more than one occurrence of simultaneous performances. Yes, this news is concerning, but do not fret: as a seasoned Music Midtown pro, I accomplished the impossible by navigating a sea of Florence + The Machine fans in order to get to Girl Talk's performance. Utilize your elbows and a polite but firm "excuse me, sir/ma'am/hipster" to wade your way from one stage to the other. High-priority bands fill up the area fast, so ditch Jane's Addiction and go wait by the stage for Journey. You'll have a great view while everyone else pours in for the main attraction.
Music Midtown brings together the absolute best parts of Atlanta to Piedmont Park. This is one awesome event that every Emory student should attend and enjoy. MARTA on over with your friends, and enjoy these sweet last weeks of summer with great food, great music and great people.
– By Jordie Davies
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