Spending my hot girl summer at sad summer fest.
written + photographed by hunter astrid
Honestly, what better way to spend a day of your summer? Listening to a bunch of amazing music in an environment filled with high levels of energy. Yes, the heat was almost unbearable, but the music (and the help of many water hoses) helped cool down and amp up the crowd.
LØLØ - Coming from Canada, LØLØ was the first musician to take the stage. Although she is new to the scene, she’s coming in at full speed. Her music is catchy, upbeat, and was a perfect way to set the scene for the day. Her vibe comes with a very edgy tone matched with moody lyrics that easily resonates with her audience. She’s definitely one of those up and coming artists that deserves to be followed closely.
Hot Milk - The second group to play were Hot Milk, an emo power-pop duel fronted band from Manchester, England. They’re one of those bands that makes music with sad lyrics matched with upbeat melodies, making the meanings of their songs a lot more real. Han Me, the female lead, has some of the craziest stage presence that I’ve seen. She has an insanely powerful voice and a spitfire personality that shines through on stage.
The Summer Set - The group that went on third was a highly anticipated one by the crowd. The quartet formed in 2007 and was a band until 2017, when they went on an indefinite hiatus. They regrouped in 2021 and their return to the stage has been awaited ever since. Their set was so much fun — it was full of nostalgia and good time melodies. Their music is perfect summertime music, even their band name making that very clear. Playing a handful of songs from the early 2010’s, the audience repeated every word with ease. Best summer vibe.
Hot Mulligan - Fourth band was Hot Mulligan, the #1 hot new band. They’re an American post-emo band from Lansing, Michigan that formed back in 2015. Hot Mulligan is a stereotypical pop-punk band, but in the best way possible. They’re a newer band with a strong post-emo sound that adds much value to the pop-punk legacy. Their songs are fun and range from quick and upbeat to melancholy and calm. They band proved that even while missing a band member for their set (Ryan “Spicy” Malicsi, guitarist, was at a wedding), they’re still just as strong. And when a few technically difficulties occurred between the first two songs, the singer’s banter was perfect for stalling. Overall, solid band and performance.
State Champs - The first band of the second half of the day was State Champs, a band with one of the highest group energy I have ever seen live. This band always looks like they’re having the best time of their lives, and their vibes definitely get transferred to the audience. Their music is full of upbeat and quick tempos full of relatable lyrics, and their sound live is perfectly mixed. All of their songs were a blast but the highlight of their was definitely their closer, Everybody but You. This song is off of their fourth and most recent album, Kings of the Stone Age, and features singer Ben Barlow from Neck Deep. During the live performance Ben came out on stage and seeing him and Derek Discanio duel the stage together was a sight to see. I did leave their set asking the age old question: State Champs of what?
Mayday Parade - The sixth band of the festival were veterans of the pop-punk scene, Mayday Parade. The whole entire set was very nostalgic and sweet. Most of their songs were fan favorites that were throwbacks from the late 2000s and early 2010s. The set started off extremely strong and the whole audience was amped up for the rest. As the set went on, the energy calmed down a bit and gave the audience a space to feel nostalgic. Oh and they did a cover of Helena by My Chemical Romance. Emo Crowd = successfully entertained.
Waterparks - The second to last band to go on was Waterparks, God’s favorite boyfriend. This trio was formed in Houston, Texas in 2011 by vocalist Awsten Knight, guitarist Geoff Wingington and drummer Otto Wood. Let’s just say, their live sets are always entertaining. Awsten is currently one of the funniest frontman’s in this scene. His banter is always quite humorous, even though he tends to go the route of signaling out someone from this crowd. To add to that, all three of the men’s technical skills really do hold up on stage and are always a great band to see live.
Neck Deep - The last band to go on was Neck Deep and boy do you know you will always be in for a treat. Neck Deep is one of the most known names in the pop-punk scene for the past decade. Coming from Wrexham, Wales, this five piece pop-punk band continues to take over the world. Their sets are always the best, no matter what festival or concert you will see them at. It doesn’t matter how big of a stage you get them, I can guarantee that Ben Barlow (vocalist) and Matt West (guitarist) will 2 step their way around the whole thing. Their technical skills are off the charts and they only keep getting better.
