We all know one of these guys. (Image via pixabay.com)
The summer season is phenomenal in so many ways, but it's certainly the best time of the year to go to music festivals. There's nothing that quite compares to being outside, listening to your favorite artists, and dancing with the rest of the crowd.
Festivals are unique in so many little ways. When you're an attendee, it's as if the campground is a separate universe. There's a community, people will make friendly gestures toward each other, and everyone is free to act how they want. These little bubbles are the perfect places to let loose, get dressed up (or down), and just have fun.
But the best part of going to festivals (besides, you know, listening to music) is the people watching. Go ahead and try to argue against this, but you can't. No matter what city, state, or country you're in, festivals are prime for kicking back and doing some serious people watching.
We've all come to know and love the festivalgoer caricatures, and I'm sure we're all guilty of being one ourselves at some point. Keep an eye out for these the next time you venture out to a fest.
1. The neo-hippie
Description: The neo-hippie is usually a millennial clad in a Grateful Dead T-shirt, even though she doesn't really like the Grateful Dead. It's just to make point that she's "old school." Neo-hippies stake out their spots at the stage hours before the headliner with their brightly colored tapestry. This concertgoer enjoys jam bands during the day and EDM at night.
Sightings: Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, dancing with a hula hoop. Right. In. The. Middle. Of the crowd.
Phrase that pays: "P.L.U.R." and "High fives for my [insert festival name here] fam!"
2. The supervising dad
Thanks, Dad. (Image via imgur.com)
Description: The supervising dad has been instructed by his partner to "volunteer as tribute" and drive, supervise, and act as a human coat rack to his preteen children (and their friends) at their first "on-their-own" concert. Equipped with SPF 90 sunscreen, one plastic water bottle, and granola bars, he's the most lovable of all the concertgoers. (We've all been the preteen and definitely owe our dads tickets to their favorite shows.)
Sightings: Warped Tour, Justin Bieber, One Direction, standing at least 15 feet away at all times.
Phrase that pays: "Do not crowdsurf, you hear me?" and "That wasn't all that bad."
3. The Mary Poppins
Description: Much like the darling Disney character, this concertgoer has everything. Tickets, parking pass, water for days, the tent, pasta salad, you name it, and all conveniently in her backpack. How does it fit in there?! Any festival experience is much more organized with a Mary Poppins. 10/10 would suggest making friends with a Mary Poppins.
Sightings: The port-o-potty line waiting for a too-drunk friend to finish puking, then corralling the crew like a herd of sheep.
Phrase that pays: "You need a Band-Aid? Here!" and "I've got the lineup schedule, the meet-up place in case anyone gets lost, and a pair of sunglasses for everyone since I knew someone would forget."
4. The couple
Description: Ah yes, we've all seen them, been stuck next to them at some point, and maaaybe have been guilty of it ourselves. They're tied to each other at the hips, viewed as one singular unit, and they're totally in their own world.
Sightings: Literally everywhere. You can't escape them.
Phrase that pays: "You just had to be there with us."
5. The EDM junkie
Description: EDM junkies save up all of their paychecks for the entire year and then splurge on festival wristbands once they go on sale. They're all about the experience and bring their trusty friend Molly to enhance it. This concertgoer is usually found wearing some combination of kandi bracelets, diffraction glasses, and many more seemingly unnecessary items (or sometimes nothing at all).
Sightings: Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Forest, Ultra Music Festival, sweating profusely during Bassnectar's set.
Phrase that pays: "I just really like to dance" and "I can just, like, feel the bass in me right now."
Did we miss any? Give us a laugh in the comment section below!
Rachel Bresnahan is an editorial intern at Sonicbids.
