We are only a week away from this year’s Spring Awakening Music Festival at the historic Solider Field. We have been to quite a few festivals over the last several years and we have learned the hard way how things could get hectic. Getting to the show and enjoying the music is the easy part, but there’s so much more to attending a music festival that we tend to ignore that could wind up harshing our mellow. To help get people prepared for the fest, we came up with a list that will make your festival experience that much better.
Drink Lots of Water/ Bring A Camelbak
We low-key may have saved a life or two at last year’s Lollapalooza due to having a bit of water left in our Camelbak to share. The crowds at SAMF will be massive, so going back and forth from your spot in the crowd to a water source will be tough. If you are an expert at getting to the front of the crowd with ease, more power to you. But if you’re not that person, having water with you at all times and staying hydrated is key to having a great time… and not passing out.
Bring A Mobile Charger
If you are into getting some pics or videos for the ‘Gram like we are, keeping your phone charged for a whole day at a festival is damn near impossible. We have been through a few different mobile chargers, but the best for a fest setting would have to be a Mophie charger. If that isn’t something you’re into, we purchased a decent mobile charger that didn’t take up too much pocket space for us at this year’s SXSW festival that could possibly be more your style. You can check it out HERE.
Be Prepared for Chicago Weather
Let’s just say things have been pretty crazy this last week or so in Chicago. One day it feels like we’re kicking off our summer, next day you need to bring out that winter coat because it’s so cold that the rain may turn into snow. What does that mean? Make sure to bring a poncho, sunscreen, a sweater and anything else you feel you will need to be comfortable for the long day.
Make A Schedule
There are some fests where we have had to make a full itinerary to make sure we check out every artist we need to see and there’s also some where we just winged it. Every person is different, so go about it however you see fit, but if there are some artists that you just must see you will have to write down their set times plus the stage on a piece of paper as a reminder. If you plan on winging it, you should have a good amount of choices at the Main Stage, Equinox Stage, The Hangar, Phoenix Stage and Silent Disco stage that wherever you may land you’ll have a good time.
Discover New Artists
If you are one of those type of people to wing it at a festival, then you are bound to discover a new artist or two. If you are into seeing only the artists you are familiar with, go out of your way to check out an artist you have never seen before if you have a gap in your schedule. React came up with a cool mix series featuring performers at this year’s SAMF. They will continue to add to the list leading up to the festival, but the artists already featured deliver more than enough to merit a stop by their set at this year’s SAMF. Check out the mix below.
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Last but not least, enjoy Chicago. There are plenty of things to do before and/or after the festival. If you plan on checking out some after shows, hit the link HERE for details.
