Starry Nights Music Festival 2012

Hello All,

Three weekends late, but here I am catching up!

September 28-30, 2012

The first thing that I have to say about the Starry Nights Festival in Bowling Green Kentucky this year is that it was highly enjoyable. It was a bit of a long drive, but I'd say the experience was well worth it, and the company was also quite good...

My friend Elizabeth, having never been to a concert before in her life, invited me to consider going to this one   with her sometime back in July or August, as long as I could drive us both there. In the end, the actual "being able to drive us there" was a bit of a fiasco, but it was all worked out in the end. So we left Friday after classes and drove to Kentucky.

The Starry Nights Festival featured many bands and artists in the Indie/Rock vein, including a few that I knew of before hand, like Manchester Orchestra and of course Cage the Elephant. Elizabeth wanted to go primarily for CTE, but she is a greater lover of music than I, so she was listening to the Starry Nights Spotify playlist and was picking out the bands that she didn't want to miss.

After a long drive that went late into the night, we pulled into the campground where we would spend the next two evenings and set up the tent behind the car.

Elizabeth and Me at the Festival

Our Humble Campsite

After a little bit of music on Friday night, we crashed for the night to get ready for plenty of activity on Saturday...

Waking up, we went out to see what there was to be seen. We met some of our neighbors, we went to see the giant art wall, we checked out the woods where they had a "Hammock Haven" set out and were trying to rally people to play capture the flag, we did the climbing wall, and more. I was still suffering from mono at the time, so I had to take a nap for most of the afternoon (I think the long drive left me a little drained!) but she got me up in time to go back to the stages to hear music that night.

It has been a long time since I personally have gone to see a concert and the first time that I've ever gone to a real music festival (although the Big Spring Jam - where I first saw Cage the Elephant - was probably a close cousin). I enjoyed the atmosphere a lot. There was a big sense of general neighborliness and a very relaxed ambiance. The only real issue with the festival goers was the proliferated use of drugs and alcohol, but that was an issue that never really approached us. We were never threatened by anybody and security was otherwise great. I'd say that, despite that, it was probably among the safer music festivals I've known of, and that is highly to its credit. Well done, Starry Nights.

Between Frisbee golf, capture the flag, and the music, the campground became a very friendly place. It reminded me a little of Jamboree, a feeling which I admit to missing.

The Corner of the Art Wall

My Little Contribution

After taking a detour to watch a hot air balloon, we rushed over to the main stage just in time to push our way into the crowd to see Portugal the Man, who played right before Cage the Elephant.

Portugal the Man, doing that rocking out thing. I really enjoyed listening to these guys.

In the time between Portugal the Man and Cage the Elephant, we took a break and then returned to the much less crowded big stage while another band played and the little stage. In this manner, we were able to weasel our way closer and closer to the stage, putting ourselves right in the middle of the action to see CTE.

There's something about being right in the midst of the most - well - dangerous part of the concert crowd that also makes it worth it. I believe that different kinds of music are meant to be listened to and appreciated in different ways. As I said back in February about the House Show at the Dark Room, that was the way to listen to that kind of music. I'd say that classical music is best appreciated dressed in your tails and ties in glorious opera halls. Trash can drums and an old sax probably beg the greatest presentation on a street corner in Memphis or New Orleans. I'll bet that plenty of music sounds best in the CD player of your car.

Cage the Elephant, for all intents and purposes, is probably best listened to as you jump up and down in the midst of a few hundred other strangers going crazy as well, as glow sticks and balloons fly over your head and the cold night air meets the heat of one's love for good sounds.

I personally enjoyed the performances of "Flow" and "Shake Me Down". I would have posted video, but despite our very close crowd position, my poor phone wasn't able to get a video with decent sound quality. So rather than subject your poor ears to ragged static, I recommend getting up, taking your own adventure, and going to see them.

However, our proximity did bring us close enough to catch a few showers of the fireworks they were launching and catch an up-close and personal experience with the lead singer.

Matt Shultz, crowd-surfing. Got to sort of help catch him when he fell a few moments after  this picture was taken.

It was a great night of music and excitement, and we were both content and ready for bed.

The next morning, we packed up and headed back, taking a lunch break in Nashville for famous Jack's Barbeque and just a little bit of sight-seeing.

Driving through Nashville

At the Grand Ole Opry House

Had a lot of fun and a nice little adventure.

Until next time, S.O.C.K.S.

I'm Jonathon, and this is my life.

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