Music festivals and everything in between

There are a lot of responsibilities when you’re young. You don’t really know how to deal with things around you, and it all just seems a blur. When you grow up and realize what you did, sometimes it can be shocking.

About two years ago, my friend and I went to the Boston Calling music festival that happens in the Harvard field. Everything was amazing there. Food stands were posted left and right, people were laughing and having a good time. Huge stages were directly in front of you and if an artist was performing you could practically see them from a mile away.

My friend and I were shocked at our surroundings since we had never been to a music festival like this before. Immediately, we went to go get some food while my mom did her own thing. The food was delicious and we ate it on the grass while other people did the same thing. It was cool being in this environment and on our own because we felt like real adults. Or at least we felt like we were having a good time.

I can’t remember the first artist that we saw perform, but it was definitely an enjoyable one because everyone in the crowd was dancing and singing along. We were lucky enough to have VIP tickets to this event making everything better. The only thing that made it difficult was not getting fully surrounded by other people jumping along to the music experience. 

At this point in my life I was a freshman who had high hopes for everything that might happen in the future. Now going into senior year soon, it’s kind of crazy thinking back to how that was almost two years ago, and I was so young to even remember half of the stuff I did that weekend. 

The whole festival wasn’t that bad itself, it was just different. Left and right there were people smoking, or drinking because it was mainly adults there. It didn’t freak my friend and I out or anything since we knew not to get involved with those people. But at our age we were too scared of trying that stuff at a music festival. Since we were so young, the other people around us didn’t really pay attention to our presence unless we were doing something wrong. 

For instance, when I came back from using the bathroom and there was a performer on stage, I had to get back to my friend and push around all of these adults. They got a little upset at me, but I really did not care. People at concerts can be very aggressive for some reason and it makes sense because you’re here to see your favorite artist. Honestly though, they should’ve just let me head back to my friend in peace without any commotion. 

After that night my perspective on music festivals and how old I was at this festival changed. I slowly started to realize how much fun the older teenagers and adults were having. Now that I’m 16, I would’ve definitely wanted to go at this age because I would be able to do more. There might have been a lot more enjoyable experiences blooming into my memory, and fun stories that I would be able to document and share with others. 

The cool thing about this festival was that there was a vast majority of ages there, and nobody seemed to really care. There could’ve been a couple who was 60 years old having a good time dancing to Travis Scott, and a couple who had their 3-year-old child with them swaying to the smooth beats of Hozier. It was a mix of people, but a good one. 

At all festivals, people are going to try and get in, no matter what. My friend and I were walking from seeing an artist to go and use the bathroom and something caught our eye. We both looked to the right of us and saw this guy trying to hop the fence to get in. We stood there laughing to ourselves and just watching quietly. Nothing bad happened to the guy and he surprisingly got help from the other people around. 

Some moments like that were just confusing, and seemed to all be in a haze. It was very hot out that Memorial Day weekend, and my friend and I were sweating a lot. Right near one of the stages was a ferris wheel that we got the opportunity to go on, and it was amazing. You could see all of Boston’s skyline, and the whole festival itself. The people looked like little ants when we were at the top and practically saw everything. 

Having been 14 at the time, it was a different environment entirely. On social media, I’ve seen plenty of videos of people at concerts and going to other music festivals like Coachella that happen in California. I thought to myself that things might be different here at Boston Calling than from the horror stories I’ve read about Coachella. I was completely wrong by a landslide. Things weren’t that different because I was still surrounded by a bunch of adults, and other teenagers who were doing things that I can’t really explain.

The entire experience was something that I’ll never forget. It was a very enjoyable time, and I loved going. Maybe in the future years when things open back up again and we can safely host concerts and outdoor music festivals, then it might be even more exciting because I can be on my own with my friends and not have the thought of my mom sticking around with us the entire time. 

Even though I did enjoy it a lot, I would definitely recommend not going to a music festival when you’re young and a bit naive. Yes you might get the fear of missing out, but you would have a much better time going a little bit older, and enjoying yourself a little more at what could be classified as one of the most fun weekends of your life.