Which one, you may ask? Coachella? You're about a month off on that one. It's one with a third of the celebrities/fashion but triple the music quality (no offense, Coachella). Shaky Knees Music Festival. You may remember me briefly talking about it last year, when I saw my two favorite bands in the span of two days. I also went the year before that, meaning I've been to three of the four years this festival has been open. I should be their official spokesperson because I talk so highly of them. Yes, Shaky Knees will have my heart, but this post is meant for all festivals. It's an official guide to the festival (adding "the" makes it so much more frightening). And you should be scared. It's a lot of work to be festival ready, but at the end of the day, know that being festival ready, as Urban Dictionary says, is simply a goal, not a physical state of mind. It will never truly happen, and this is another key to tackling the festival. Are you still listening?
Overalls by Calvin Klein. Bralette by Aerie. Shoes by Adidas. Hat by Brandy Melville.
Sunglasses by Madewell.
First things first, I worried about fashion. Obviously. I'm a fashion blogger, remember? Is calling myself that the same as saying Voldemort out loud in public? And no, you don't have to be 100% on your fashion game at a festival. You're there for the music and experience, not for the looks (except looking good at a festival totally means your festival ready, but remember, that state is nearly impossible). I was striving to accomplish this goal, so I slipped on a pair of Calvin Klein overalls over a lace bralette because it was HOT but also because who doesn't love overalls? I also wore my Adidas all three days to combat the foot pain most people get at festivals and my cap from Brandy Melville for those ~festival looks~ (but really to protect my face from the blaring sun). You're only doing a festival right if you're practical about most things -- my overalls had five pockets to carry festival necessities (like my phone and sunglasses), and I also brought my Kavu to carry larger items (water, my camera, my wallet, etc) and to sneak in several apples and packs of apple sauce. Why all of the apple products? I'm still not really sure. And you may be wondering what the hell is tied around my bag strap, and those are t-shirts I bought at the merch booth. It's called using your resources.
The day after I wore a cropped tank with denim shorts (I told you I was going to make them work for a festival) then a slip dress on the last day. I didn't document these because I was too busy waiting at stages to see The Decemberists or Florence + The Machine, but one outfit should create my point.
And my last thought on fashion: don't wear too much. Do not over-accessorize (Alessandro Michele would be sad, I know). And BE SMART. Yes, those cropped flares paired with that over-the-shoulder top look fabulous on you but you won't be feeling so fabulous when your legs feel like a million degrees and your top falls over your shoulders too much (if you know what I mean) because you're too busy dancing at that one set.
Florence + The Machine, from 5/15/16
The Decemberists, from 5/14/16
Shakey Graves, from 5/14/16
The Head and the Heart, from 5/15/16
Next up, and most importantly (hopefully) is the music. It's a music festival, so of course this is the number one priority. Go to festivals where you know you love at least a few of the bands, but if you're unable to make it to all of the sets you'd love to see, don't stress. I had to miss Foals this year because they were playing at the same time as The Decemberists, and last year I had to miss Manchester Orchestra. It feels like the end of the world (first world problems?), but when you're able to see five sets a day over that one band you sort of like, it makes everything better. To make yourself 96% festival ready, make a game plan with all of the sets. Know that seeing this band front row would change your life (Florence + The Machine), and seeing this other band 100 feet away from the stage would still change your life (My Morning Jacket). Work around this, and your festival dreams will come true. Waiting all day at the same stage ensured me that I could actually touch Florence Welch's Gucci dress (yes, this happened, and she also touched me and sang into my eyes. No big deal.), and sprinting from The Decemberists to My Morning Jacket allowed me to jam out with cool 30-somethings to Jim James's rocking set. And lastly, enjoy yourself. Everyone you see will be worth it if you make them worth your while. Seeing a satanic metal band by the name of Ghost was frighteningly amazing because I let myself enjoy a band covered in skeleton makeup and silver devil masks (click here if you don't believe me).
Then I could tell you how to truly experience a festival, but that's not my place. Experience one as you wish. I will tell you that eating five King of Pops popsicles a day is completely okay, and playing Heads Up with 20 strangers while waiting for Florence to come on stage is the best way to take up that seems-like-forever hour. But it's really how you make it. And festivals shouldn't be some scary entity where you're constantly afraid you won't make it to this one set or that you have terrible pit stains. Shaky Knees made sure its festival-goers wouldn't have this mindset, and maybe that's why I keep coming back. Happy knee shaking, everyone.
All photos shot by me, except for the photos of me, which were shot by either Kendall (left in 4th image) or Katie (5th image).
No comments:
Post a Comment