For many years, I have avoided the big music festivals. I must admit that being able to listen to live music outdoors is my idea of a perfect day, and I love that music festivals provide the opportunity to see multiple artists, some of whom I may not have been aware of or chosen to listen to otherwise. And the fact that you only have to find and pay for parking once to see several acts is a big plus…. But I’m not too proud to admit that I prefer having a seat and a reasonably clean rest room at my disposal when attending an event. I know I am not alone on that count.
But I recently attended a music festival that was so well executed that it really changed my mind about the whole experience. Kudos to the organizers of Innings Festival 2019. Clearly, festival planning has come a long way in the last decade. It started with ticketing: no longer do you need to even show an electronic ticket on your phone for entry to the venue. Once you receive your wristband with the digital chip, you simply register it online – yes you have to identify yourself, but you can also identify your emergency contact and enter your credit card info so that you never have to open your wallet throughout the festival. Everything from gate entry to paying for merchandise is done with a swipe of your wristband. The benefits are tremendous – from a security perspective, every registered attendee can be identified. If, god forbid, you experience a safety or medical emergency while there, a simple scan of your wristband can immediately provide responders with critical information. And I gotta say that as much as I hate sharing credit card info with any site, it was extremely convenient to swipe the wristband when making food and beverage purchases, keeping the lines moving efficiently. Hydration stations were readily available throughout the venue, allowing festival goers to bring their own refillable bottles, thus reducing plastic waste. The Festival also offered two levels of VIP experiences, for the folks who wanted somewhat improved viewing areas, easy access to beverage vendors, and semi- normal rest room accommodations.
So what about the music line-up? With Eddie Vedder headlining, I have to admit that it would not have mattered to me who else was on the line-up. (see my previous post about him, “Can’t find a Better Band.”) And holy shit his solo performance was outstanding! He played three different guitars, two ukuleles, and an organ while covering songs from everyone from the Beatles to U2, from the Clash to Jason Isbell, and throwing in a couple of my personal favorite Pearl Jam songs. There was a 20-something young man standing next to me during the performance, and we had a chance to talk a bit before Eddie took the stage. He was clearly a Pearl Jam fan – he knew all of the history and every song. But he had never seen them (or any other band) perform live. This was his first experience….and he got to see Eddie perform solo! It was irresistible to witness his excitement at seeing one of his rock idols. I am hoping it was the start of a lifetime of live music performances for him.
The overall line-up for Innings Festival was actually just perfect for the setting. Lots of funk, brass, hard rock, 90’s rock, something for most every taste and demographic. A couple acts that stood out to me were G. Love & Special Sauce – so much fun to dance in the sunshine to his highly entertaining hip-hop/funk/blues. And St. Paul & the Broken Bones were a positive surprise with an enormous voice and southern blues/soul/gospel sound, complete with full brass accompaniment. Guster’s set was fun and upbeat, and included a gravity-defying fence rail walk by lead singer Ryan Miller! It was terrific to see Blues Traveler again – I have not seen them live since about ’96, I think. John Popper is a bit slimmer but still has his big voice and killer harmonica licks. And my favorite act from day one of Innings Fest was Cake. I don’t know how I have never seen them perform live before. They delivered an absolutely perfect set. If you have the chance to see them live, take advantage of it. Many other noteworthy acts were on the ticket, including Sheryl Crow, The Baseball Project, Liz Phair, Jimmy Eat World, and Incubus. Oh, and I have to mention that I got to meet MLB legend Roger Clemens at the baseball-related events. It was a thrill for me – I remember watching him pitch his award-winning ’86 season with the Red Sox at Fenway Park!
I was glad to read that Innings Festival will be back again next year, and so I will again be in attendance. Who said that people can never change?
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