Sad Summer Fest is Here to Stay
Photo Credit: Bridget Craig
I recently got the chance to attend the Worcester date of this year's Sad Summer Festival hosted by Journeys. When you entered the festival grounds in the parking lot of the Worcester Palladium on that hot 90+ degree day, you could just feel the excitement and energy in the air. Merch tents, food trucks, drink stations, misting stations, and bathrooms were all scattered around the venue. Unlike Warped Tour, where everyone would scramble to the sign to find which time and stage they could see their favorite bands and try to plan out their day, there was only one stage set up at Sad Summer. On the left side of the stage in the crowd, there was a handicap-accessible area making it possible for everyone to be able to enjoy the show. All day, people were spraying water into the crowd, and drinks were thrown in as well to keep everyone well hydrated. At some point, even snacks were thrown out into the crowd. The staff did a great job at making sure everyone was having a good time.
Some fans rushed to the merch tents as soon as doors opened to make sure they got their hands on merch from their favorite bands and/or the exclusive Sad Summer merch. It was really cool to see Derek from State Champs at his Steez clothing brand tent just meeting fans. While plenty of people swarmed those merch tables, there were also many others who of course opted to rush to the stage to get the best spot. Although the vast majority of the crowd were people in their late 20s to early 30s, there were some families with kids, teenagers, and some older fans of music. It just was a big gathering of fans who were there to enjoy a day full of dope live music.
The fest featured new and upcoming artists like LOLO and Hot Milk as well as scene staples like Mayday Parade and The Summer Set. Pop-punk acts State Champs, Neck Deep, and Hot Mulligan kept the energy going and Waterparks proved why they have amassed such a loyal fan base. The event was filled with the nostalgia of Warped Tour while still celebrating what is to come for the future of alternative music. As Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade said during their set, "If it wasn't for Warped Tour we wouldn't have Sad Summer."
Ben from Neck Deep took some time during their set to thank everyone for coming out and humbly remind the crowd that the reason they can do this for a living is because of people like us supporting their music. He went on to say that the best way to support any band is to buy merch and he encouraged attendees to support the smaller bands in particular because they just might be your next favorite band.
I'm happy to have had the opportunity to attend the event, and all of us at Scene Daddy are certainly glad that Sad Summer is alive and well. If you miss Warped Tour, this festival is the next best thing. Definitely catch the tour if it comes through your town!