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Day 2: Grounds were much better- a little muddy (not deep) which was easily avoided in daylight, at least. One advantage of mud is no dust! Got to see the grounds in daylight:
-The Wonder stage is located close to the main stage in a much- enlarged area, suitable for larger acts. This layout makes tons of sense- you could hang out further back and enjoy both big stages all day as they alternate sets. The humongous open area is surrounded by at least four food stand clusters and countless bar options, including my perennial favorite, the Dogfish Head Brewery.
-The Bud Light Seltzer disco must be moved! The incessant bass thumping was ruining the mellower moments of music on the main stage (like Phoebe’s).
-Wonder Stage port-a-potties looked like a new, more compact style. They were overflowing by 8:30. Hope this gets fixed overnight.
Busy day musically. Enjoyed sets by:
White Reaper- if Thin Lizzy had a baby, it would be these guys. Tore through their best songs and threw in a sick Nirvana cover.
Peach Pit- never heard of this Canadian indie outfit, but they delivered an enjoyable chill afternoon set.
Arlo Parks- favorite set of the day. Her first American festival performance. I love her album, but live it was even better live. Chills up my spine and tear in my eye good. BTW she won the Mercury Prize (British Grammy) for best new artist.
Band of Horses- finally caught them after years of conflicting with other fest acts. I knew more of their songs than I realized; enjoyed them with dinner and a beer.
Taking Back Sunday and Sylvan Esso partial sets.
Cage the Elephant- they continue to up their live game and pack a large, enthusiastic crowd.
Killers- first time seeing them live (though I confess to skipping out early before their 2015 Firefly set). Showy, crowd-pleasing set, as expected.
I think you're referring to the Three Olives club setup near Dogfish Head. It was aggressively loud on Thursday but they seemed to have dialed it back a bit yesterday (or maybe the rock acts drowned them out more effectively).
I think you're referring to the Three Olives club setup near Dogfish Head. It was aggressively loud on Thursday but they seemed to have dialed it back a bit yesterday (or maybe the rock acts drowned them out more effectively).
Yes, that one too! Sometimes less is more. You’re right, it was better yesterday back by the Brewery.
Agree with Jack’d about day 2. Cage is headliner worthy and a reliably fun set! Enjoyed Killers as well. I didn’t see Arlo Parks cause I’ll see her at SK hopefully but saw Flo Milli which was a very good set.
Surprisingly great set was Reignwolf! If you can check them out today (around 5pm at the Bud tent or whatever), it’s worth it! Along with White Reaper - set of the day! Also a lucky fan got a free guitar (not kidding).
Enjoyed Band of Horses and Pom Pom Squad. Couldn’t really get into Peach Pit but also I needed food so I cut that set short. On to day 3!
Perfect weather for day three. Grounds still a little muddy but getting better. Another very good music day but I also finally got a chance to walk around and check out the grounds midday, as the acts I wanted to see were on very early or after 4 PM. After three days the only real complaint I have is I think the water stations are not numberous and not very well placed, and I find myself just not drinking as much water as I should. But the bathrooms and food lines have been manageable for the most part.
Tame was excellent. Really happy that they kept “Runway, Houses, City, Clouds“ in the festival set, and I see why they did because there was a great visual to it. Excellent show and at the end of a long day was a great capper. I would have maybe chosen different SR songs to play, but the set list was well balanced. Loved the show.
Glass Animals had HUGE crowd. I’m not sure because I got to Tame about 15 minutes early for a spot, but maybe Glass Animals’ crowd was even larger than Tame’s? Crowd-pleasing set and they sounded great - I would’ve like to hear “Pork Soda“, but Denzel Curry came out (apparently for the first time ever) for “Tokyo Drifting“ so this was kinda special. Dave Bayley was obviously taken by the reception, was super appreciative, which was nice to see. He also got a bloody face somehow?
Loved Noga Erez. Didn’t really know what to expect, but the show was a highlight and I want to see her full show now. She sings, raps and is intense, and musical style is genre-hopping. Lyrics are great too. “Fire Kites”! Loved it.
Khruangbin was great as always, Caribou had some technical issues but I got into it for the 25-30 minutes I saw. Remi Wolf (love her) was engaging and Caroline Polachek was a great late add and a good set. Enjoyed Badflower much more than I thought I would. Also enjoyed Peach Face at the very beginning of the day.
Overall a strong day, stronger than Friday I think. On to today (if my legs can handle it)!
We checked out the Backyard/ Pavillion area for $not and Caribou. Again, the layout and scheduling was ideal- you could hang here all day for your rap and EDM fill.
Tree House is an impossibly intimate setting for a festival this size, built literally in and around the nicely lit trees. Couldn’t wait to see Deep Sea Diver there. Brutal time slot- overlapping Glass Animals and Kraungbin, but how cool it was to be as close to the band as they were to each other. Great set covering their latest fine album.
Caroline Polachek’s “substitution” show was magical, in the cool night air after sunset. Incredible voice, movement on stage, and lights made this my surprise favorite of the day. This is what I love about festivals.
Seen Tame four times now, but this stage, light and laser show was over the top, using that cool flying saucer ring-thingy they premiered at Coachella two years ago.
We checked out the Backyard/ Pavillion area for $not and Caribou. Again, the layout and scheduling was ideal- you could hang here all day for your rap and EDM fill.
Tree House is an impossibly intimate setting for a festival this size, built literally in and around the nicely lit trees. Couldn’t wait to see Deep Sea Diver there. Brutal time slot- overlapping Glass Animals and Kraungbin, but how cool it was to be as close to the band as they were to each other. Great set covering their latest fine album.
Caroline Polachek’s “substitution” show was magical, in the cool night air after sunset. Incredible voice, movement on stage, and lights made this my surprise favorite of the day. This is what I love about festivals.
Seen Tame four times now, but this stage, light and laser show was over the top, using that cool flying saucer ring-thingy they premiered at Coachella two years ago.
On to Day 4!
I’m glad to hear Deep Sea Diver was great! That was my biggest conflict…
Post by The Foot Fuckin' Master on Sept 26, 2021 14:38:38 GMT -5
Thoughts about yesterday:
-Caribou was super cool in the Pavilion, despite having a nearly 10 minute interruption where the power fell out. -Caroline Polachek: ehhh, solid performance, but the Wonder Stage did her no favors. Nobody other than the first few rows felt into it, vibe was not there. Should have been in the Pavilion. -Glass Animals: surprisingly solid show. I could see these guys headline big fests in the future. They really brought the energy. -Khruangbin: sick as hell. -Tame: Cool set, but their 2019 setlist was way better and I also thought they should have played One More Hour in lieu of Runway, Houses, City, Clouds. The energy just got zapped. Also, the last-minute change to 11:15pm start time was ridiculous. Why not just communicate that from the start, so that people knew they could have seen Madeon in full? Furthermore, there was ample time for Tame to have done a full two hour set given that it wouldn't have clashed with the Wonder Stage. Not that I think the casual audience would have been up for the deep cuts, but it's the principle of giving headliners an equivalent set to their own tour that matters.
Also saw bits of Diplo, Elohim, and $not, which were all entertaining for various right and wrong reasons. Silent Disco was also great. Oliver Tree and Dominic Fike were the only acts that I thought were awful, and this just from hearing their crappy music when walking by.
The vibes were just as good as in 2019 IMO, and being blazed as hell ameliorated the occasional douchebag run-in's. That said, the Bud Light Seltzer Stage should be permanently removed because nobody wants to hear fucking sound interference. I also thought food prices were crazy expensive, and the South Hub camping had no showers or food options whatsoever. Which makes that South Camping parking pass also a rip off.
Happy I didn't do the full weekend given other horror stories that I'm reading online about various logistical issues. But I genuinely had a great time yesterday, and would love to return next year if they book another good day of music (although I'll definitely get private camping off-site then).
-Caribou was super cool in the Pavilion, despite having a nearly 10 minute interruption where the power fell out. -Caroline Polachek: ehhh, solid performance, but the Wonder Stage did her no favors. Nobody other than the first few rows felt into it, vibe was not there. Should have been in the Pavilion. -Glass Animals: surprisingly solid show. I could see these guys headline big fests in the future. They really brought the energy. -Khruangbin: sick as hell. -Tame: Cool set, but their 2019 setlist was way better and I also thought they should have played One More Hour in lieu of Runway, Houses, City, Clouds. The energy just got zapped. Also, the last-minute change to 11:15pm start time was ridiculous. Why not just communicate that from the start, so that people knew they could have seen Madeon in full? Furthermore, there was ample time for Tame to have done a full two hour set given that it wouldn't have clashed with the Wonder Stage. Not that I think the casual audience would have been up for the deep cuts, but it's the principle of giving headliners an equivalent set to their own tour that matters.
Also saw bits of Diplo, Elohim, and $not, which were all entertaining for various right and wrong reasons. Silent Disco was also great. Oliver Tree and Dominic Fike were the only acts that I thought were awful, and this just from hearing their crappy music when walking by.
The vibes were just as good as in 2019 IMO, and being blazed as hell ameliorated the occasional douchebag run-in's. That said, the Bud Light Seltzer Stage should be permanently removed because nobody wants to hear fucking sound interference. I also thought food prices were crazy expensive, and the South Hub camping had no showers or food options whatsoever. Which makes that South Camping parking pass also a rip off.
Happy I didn't do the full weekend given other horror stories that I'm reading online about various logistical issues. But I genuinely had a great time yesterday, and would love to return next year if they book another good day of music (although I'll definitely get private camping off-site then).
We did just Saturday too. Camped in South. NO CAR CHECK AT ALL. No police, no internal staff. The only check they had was for the windshield sticker. That's it. Just drove right up to our spot and unloaded. Was the easiest entry to a festival I've ever had.
Never tenting it again but it was fun for one night. How do people sleep without ear plugs? Bathroom situation was decent early on with flushable toilets everywhere. But by nightfall 90% of them were clogged and full and the smell alone was nauseating. But, other than that, site was beautiful! Would go again with a hotel or RV. Love the woods, lights, shops and tons of food / drink options. $10 a seltzer was a bit high but not if you only have a couple. $13 dogfish 90 min ipa.
We were able to get on the rail for Caribou roughly 15 minutes before the set started. Was very excited and had a few beers in me, resulted in forgetting to put my ear buds in. My left ear was ringing all day yesterday! What a great show. I would like to see a full set of his standalone tour shows for sure. Two floor tickets to his Pittsburgh show are totaling $73. Worth every penny imo.
My wife likes her some Blackbear. Nice production. Liked that he was on an elevated platform so that anyone 5'2"(wife's height) or so could see him without looking at the screens.
*The screens at ever show were massive and clear. 4k probably. But very very impressive. Great sound quality all around as well.*
Glass Animals was packed. Fantastic show. All the hits. Singer was a sweaty/bloody mess. Must've cut his nose on the mic? We were wondering if the blood was going to reach his mouth a some point. Never did but was odd. Denzel coming out for Tokyo Drifting was dope.
Khruangbin, WOW. So good. Wont mention the covers but there were a couple "no way!" moments...
Tame. My favorite artist. Love all his shows and he's the reason I even went to Firefly, but there are definitely some improvements to be made. *Spoiler alert* First 6 songs didn't utilize the overall production capabilities at all. Ring is updated and still dope. Skeletons is a complete waste imo. Kevin needs to replace that with a banger. IE, It might be Time. This is the rushium tour highlighting the slow rush, right? New Person, Same Old Mistakes has been his closer for 5-6 years now. Time for an update.
Day 4 in the books. Under more perfect weather, we enjoyed full sets from Portugal. The Man, Mt. Joy, Denzel Curry, Middle Kids and Pretty Little Goat- a bluegrass band (!)- in the Treehouse, which is also great in the daytime because it's shady. I did not expect to see a washboard player at Firefly! Also half of Megan Thee Stallion (which drew a HUGE crowd to the Backyard), LovelytheBand, and Trevor Daniel.
Sorry to hear about the camping issues. FWIW we stayed at the local Days Inn, which was BARELY a step up from ultra-basic camping...
Logistics- not sure what was said online, but we were here for 4 full days, and after the Thursday weather delays and Friday toilet failures at Wonder stage, there were no real logistical issues that we saw. No problems with lines anywhere, unless you just had to have that one thing at that one stand during a big show...
Food and Beverages- there was a wide selection of good food at prices in line with other festivals I've been to. Two food vendors get a big thumbs-down: back of the main stage was "Thai One On"- they were unable to produce food for a long time Thursday, but kept telling people "10 more minutes" for eternity. We gave up and went elsewhere, but tried them again the next day- only to find out they RAISED THE PRICES from $12 to $20 for a cup of freakin' rice! We walked 5 minutes to another vendor for a similar dish for $12. Next to "Thai One On" was "Philly Cheesesteak", who also raised their price to $20! This is not Woodstock!!! I walked a few booths down and got a delicious bratwurst for $10, no line.
Overall Final Impressions: - Late September offers cooler temperatures and 2 extra hours of darkness, which enhances lighting effects, and sound (at least to my ears). Fans and artists alike battle the sun for two less hours. - The grounds were adorned with art installations, wicker firefly lights, and raised sparkler/fireworks lights which I really enjoyed. It created a bit of a Coachella-like feel. As always, the treed surroundings make The Woodlands an ideal festival setting. There is so much open space that we never felt crowded in any way, but that's also due to only 50,000 or so attendees. - The Firefly App was key. There were many artist additions and set time adjustments that my schedule screen shots did not reflect. - The staff: vendors, security, grounds crews, etc. did an overall great job. I took the time over the last couple days to ask how they were doing, and thank them for coming out this weekend. Every one I spoke to was happy to be back, like we were.
It's unlikely to happen again, but I really enjoyed Fall Firefly.
Slightly lighter day for me but still got there early to see Claud and Middle Kids. Enjoyed Claud and really enjoyed Middle Kids. Realized at the beginning that the singer from Middle Kids plays guitar left-handed but with actually a right handed guitar, i.e. bass strings on the bottom. Took me two songs to stop watching that and thinking about how that would work (and to start to pay attention to the show); I thought the performance was excellent once I did that.
Really like Denzel Curry, but volume was too low. Really could’ve been more crowd energy if the volume was up a bit. Enjoyed Grandson a lot more than I thought I would - thought his voice was weird on his recorded output, but it worked much better live. I love it when a set exceeds expectations and this one did.
Last three sets on the main were great (Sofi Tukker, Portugal. The Man, and Lizzo). We got a great spot for all three, and we were even able to leave in between to do other stuff. Came back about 15 minutes early for Portugal and Lizzo to get a good spot. Portugal was probably my favorite, but I’ve been a fan of theirs for years. I love that they’re still playing a decent amount of old material. And of course the covers they do and interpolate are fun. However set was not much different from the last go round. Speaking of fun, Sofi Tukker was just that. Really enjoyable and a nice lead-in to the evening. This is one of my wife’s must-sees, and I was happy to go along. Finally, Lizzo‘s headlining set was the spectacle you’d expect, and a big visual difference from previous shows. She also had a live band which was excellent. Not as much new material as I would have thought, overall very enjoyable, though I felt it dragged a bit before the last few songs brought everybody’s energy back to close the fest out in style.
Checked out Megan Thee Stallion from afar for a few minutes. Huge crowd of course, seemed enjoyable, but I’m not into it enough to fight to get close. Would be curious to know how others enjoyed her set!
Overall great weekend. It was so many artists’ first show back (or one of their first shows back), and you could see they appreciated the crowd very much. I’ve never noticed so many artists interacting with the crowd (noticing signs, replying to people calling out to them). I really appreciated being there as well. Really nice setting and crowd was pretty polite and respectful (for the most part). Top five sets were The Hu, Tame, Girl In Red, Reignwolf and Portugal. Not sure I’ll be back soon, as this fest is always close in time to Bonnaroo, but if the lineup is decent, I’d love to.
Post by dreadpirateroberts on Sept 27, 2021 14:32:17 GMT -5
It was my first time going to the Woodlands and I had so much fun! I thought the layout was great and was super easy to get from one stage to another. There were some muddy spots that they could’ve done a better job of patching up, but overall, it was fine. In no particular order, some of my favorite sets from the weekend were Arlo Parks, Caribou, Glass Animals, Khruangbin, Rezz, and Tame. Overall, I really enjoyed this fest and definitely look forward to going in the future.
11/19: Caribou 11/22: Ranger Trucco 11/29: Armand Van Helden* 1/16: L'Impératrice 1/30: Jamie xx 2/1: DJ Seinfeld 2/7: Mild Minds* 3/1: Father John Misty* 3/19: Confidence Man 3/23: DARKSIDE 5/8: Rüfüs Du Sol
How many people are usually at Firefly? This was my first year and the 50k capacity seemed pretty perfect. It was busy everyday, but I could always get a decent spot for sets and the food, toilet, and drink lines were all fairly manageable. Is it typically more of a zoo?
How many people are usually at Firefly? This was my first year and the 50k capacity seemed pretty perfect. It was busy everyday, but I could always get a decent spot for sets and the food, toilet, and drink lines were all fairly manageable. Is it typically more of a zoo?
2015 when Paul played was the only time it felt really packed. I think they said there was 90k that year. Other than that, the Weeknd's set in 2017 felt like a lot of ppl. Every other year felt more or less the same as this year to me.
How many people are usually at Firefly? This was my first year and the 50k capacity seemed pretty perfect. It was busy everyday, but I could always get a decent spot for sets and the food, toilet, and drink lines were all fairly manageable. Is it typically more of a zoo?
2015 when Paul played was the only time it felt really packed. I think they said there was 90k that year. Other than that, the Weeknd's set in 2017 felt like a lot of ppl. Every other year felt more or less the same as this year to me.
Good to know. I enjoyed myself a lot this weekend, but wouldn't be as game for a 90k crowd with this setup.
Some other thoughts:
$13 Dogfish Head 90 Minute tall boys seem like something that shouldn't be legal, but absolutely is. Best deal at Firefly by far.
Generally had good luck with sound quality this weekend, but some of the rap sets really suffered from weird levels/mixing. I don't know if it was the angle, but we could barely hear Meg's mic and it felt like it really took away from the crowd involvement/energy.
Caribou technical issues were a bummer, but the set still rocked. Felt like Madeon had a similar drop (we were just passing by), so it may have been a larger issue with the Pavilion Stage.
The Treehouse stage was awesome, should a unique vibe, but it wasn't being used nearly enough.
The logistics of this fest were a mess (sometimes to our benefit). Staff often didn't know what was going on (VIP upgrades, parking, restricted items, etc.) and they seemed to just be winging it a lot of the time. I got searched every time, but had friends who were just waved through with their bags. People on Reddit talking about how their hammocks were turned away (despite the hammock area), but their friends with knives got in without issue. They weren't even checking the wristband taps at entry consistently (one girl next to us got in without one). Also heard that spruce up passes were hard to actually pick-up, and that the dedicated areas were in bad shape. On the upside, we were able to park for free everyday.
If you're not in the festival, there's a complete lack of signage. Not even a "firefly this way" near the parking lots.
Merch ran out stupid quick (hoodies and long-sleeves in particular, probably didn't anticipate the demand properly with the move to September). The hoodie I wanted was completely gone within 3 hours on Thursday and never restocked.
The health check was easy and seemed effective. Folks who seemed to actually be trained checked ID against your vax/test, and gave you a wristband you had to wear at all times to get into the fest. Seemed similar to what Roo had planned.
Man, I have a newfound appreciation for Lollapalooza and their chowtown after my food experiences at Riot Fest and Firefly these past two weeks. Riotfest it was the inexplicably long lines, Firefly it was the inconsistent quality and uhh, "dynamic pricing" that went up significantly at several places throughout the weekend. That said, I had good luck with the food trucks over by Dogfish and seemed to pick the right stands. Heard vegan fare was really tough to come by though.
I don't understand the dick waffles, but they were a crowd favorite.
The crowd was generally the right mix of being expressive and into the music, but not obnoxiously ramming into you or screaming into your ear. Still a bit too much chatter during quieter moments at popular stages (see: "Halley's Comet" during Billie's set), but not a huge deal.
Bailed on camping last week and grabbed a last minute hotel. I'm still curious about camping, but this wasn't the year and that Thursday rain storm really validated that call. Walk from mall parking over to the festival was tolerable but not ideal. Once we got the short cuts down, we were fine.
Love all the little touches like the firefly lanterns, glowing tree, fake candles on the Treehouse stage. Would love to see them lean into that more and ape some of that Electric Forest/Coachella vibe.
I've long held that Glass Animals is an act that seems to bridge every major festival demo, and their crowd this weekend validated that. A perfect festival band.
All the headliners this year really delivered. Just a fun set of acts that seemed genuinely moved to be there (especially Lizzo).
Didn't ultimately do VIP but it seemed a little overrated? I get the value compared to other festivals, but there didn't seem to be an issue getting just as close for most of the headliners in GA, and with a better line of sight. The chairs/seating would be nice, but people seemed to be holding those all day long. I'd be game to try it another year, but at least with the 50k cap it didn't seem as essential.
All I’ve got to add it that group camping was wild. No staff could definitively tell us where to actually go once we finally got in on Thursday afternoon so we just picked five 10x30 spots and pitched our camp there. We totaled 19 people by Friday evening so we eventually just took over an additional two neighboring spots (it was pretty vacant out there by the Red Ranger station) and kept one car permanently nearby to lock stuff up. 11/10 for being able to do essentially whatever we wanted but dang was the staffing shortage apparent.
11/19: Caribou 11/22: Ranger Trucco 11/29: Armand Van Helden* 1/16: L'Impératrice 1/30: Jamie xx 2/1: DJ Seinfeld 2/7: Mild Minds* 3/1: Father John Misty* 3/19: Confidence Man 3/23: DARKSIDE 5/8: Rüfüs Du Sol
Post by The Foot Fuckin' Master on Sept 29, 2021 22:27:17 GMT -5
RATM was such a weird booking for Firefly 2020 given the rest of that lineup. I don't think they are a deciding factor as to whether the fest returns in June or September.
RATM was such a weird booking for Firefly 2020 given the rest of that lineup. I don't think they are a deciding factor as to whether the fest returns in June or September.
I actually think the opposite. Someone as big as RATM, Firefly would have gladly settled back to June to stick with their tour.
Well, if they wanna do it again in September, it probably won’t be the same weekend because it looks like Tim Sweetwood and C3 are going to be putting on a new fest in Ocean City September 23-25.
11/19: Caribou 11/22: Ranger Trucco 11/29: Armand Van Helden* 1/16: L'Impératrice 1/30: Jamie xx 2/1: DJ Seinfeld 2/7: Mild Minds* 3/1: Father John Misty* 3/19: Confidence Man 3/23: DARKSIDE 5/8: Rüfüs Du Sol
