Firefly Spotlight: Top Five Firefly Performances
During the three years that I have been to Firefly I've seen countless artists perform and put on great shows. It can be hard to look back and think of what my favorite set was since each one can be so different. Some sets I've been up front and was able to feel like I was interacting with the artists, others I've been further back in a massive crowd of people feeding off the energy of the crowd and sometimes I'm far back sitting on the lawn chowing down on some food and just soaking in the vibes and sunlight. It's difficult to say that one kind of experience is better than others but I think I've finally come up with a top five list. Here they are in no particular order:
Paul McCartney '15- Chills. I've never gotten so many chills during a concert in my entire life. Seeing such a legend perform with giant high definition screens, fireworks and such skill was a truly special experience. One of my friends has a tattoo referencing "Ob-La Di, Ob-La Da" and when he started playing that song we all went nuts. He played for over two and a half hours and I never got bored during that time. The set closed out with "Let It Be", "Live And Let Die" and "Hey Jude". I don't think I've ever heard any louder sing-a-longs in my life. The energy was electric and seeing a member of The Beatles perform was incredible.
Foster the People '13- They played as the last act of my first Firefly and really knocked it out of the park. The whole weekend had been a blast and having them close it all out really added to my excitement. I loved their first album which was the only one they had out at the time and was impressed with their stage presence. There were giant towers on the stage with people dancing on top of them and other special effects throughout the set. They played a bunch of new songs of their second album which didn't come out until over a year later. I was pretty far back since I got their a little late but I took advantage of the extra space to move around and had fun seeing all the glow sticks and people dancing. I've seen them twice since then, once at Firefly in 2015 and they put on great shows then as well, but nothing compares to my first time seeing them.
Jeremy Loops '16- Jeremy Loops comes from South Africa and isn't very widely known around here. I found out about him through a friend that studied abroad down there and I got hooked. He plays folk music that has slight hip-hop, electronica and pop influences. The set was in the early afternoon so I was able to get a close spot and was surrounded by people who were really excited for him. Fans brought in South African flags and were waving them around the whole time while singing along at the top of our lungs. Highlights for me included his hit "Down South" and my favorite song of his, "See, I Wrote It For You". Check him out on Spotify if you haven't heard of him before. You won't be disappointed!
Mumford & Sons '16- I knew I liked Mumford & Sons before seeing them last year. I just didn't realize how much I liked them. They played all of the songs I wanted them to, including a lot of songs off of Wilder Minds which is my favorite album of theirs. I wasn't sure what the energy would be like since they have some slower songs but the entire set was high energy and I was on my feet moving around the entire time despite the fact that they were one of the last acts on Sunday. Even though my feet were sore and I was completely exhausted, I was able to forget about all that thanks to how engaging and entertaining of a show they put on.
The White Panda '16- The White Panda has played every year that I've been at Firefly but their set last year really stands out. They played in the pavilion last year and I got there early enough that I was able to be under the tent. The lasers, lights and energy during the set were all wonderful. I feel like they get some hate sometimes since they are mashup artists but I find them to be a lot of fun. The entire set is a giant dance party and sing along. How can you not have fun? One of the great things about them is that they always have new material since they combine lots of current hits. I'm glad they are on the lineup yet again this year and hope I get the chance to see them.
I can't wait to see who my favorite acts of 2017 are!
Paul McCartney '15- Chills. I've never gotten so many chills during a concert in my entire life. Seeing such a legend perform with giant high definition screens, fireworks and such skill was a truly special experience. One of my friends has a tattoo referencing "Ob-La Di, Ob-La Da" and when he started playing that song we all went nuts. He played for over two and a half hours and I never got bored during that time. The set closed out with "Let It Be", "Live And Let Die" and "Hey Jude". I don't think I've ever heard any louder sing-a-longs in my life. The energy was electric and seeing a member of The Beatles perform was incredible.
Foster the People '13- They played as the last act of my first Firefly and really knocked it out of the park. The whole weekend had been a blast and having them close it all out really added to my excitement. I loved their first album which was the only one they had out at the time and was impressed with their stage presence. There were giant towers on the stage with people dancing on top of them and other special effects throughout the set. They played a bunch of new songs of their second album which didn't come out until over a year later. I was pretty far back since I got their a little late but I took advantage of the extra space to move around and had fun seeing all the glow sticks and people dancing. I've seen them twice since then, once at Firefly in 2015 and they put on great shows then as well, but nothing compares to my first time seeing them.
Jeremy Loops '16- Jeremy Loops comes from South Africa and isn't very widely known around here. I found out about him through a friend that studied abroad down there and I got hooked. He plays folk music that has slight hip-hop, electronica and pop influences. The set was in the early afternoon so I was able to get a close spot and was surrounded by people who were really excited for him. Fans brought in South African flags and were waving them around the whole time while singing along at the top of our lungs. Highlights for me included his hit "Down South" and my favorite song of his, "See, I Wrote It For You". Check him out on Spotify if you haven't heard of him before. You won't be disappointed!
Mumford & Sons '16- I knew I liked Mumford & Sons before seeing them last year. I just didn't realize how much I liked them. They played all of the songs I wanted them to, including a lot of songs off of Wilder Minds which is my favorite album of theirs. I wasn't sure what the energy would be like since they have some slower songs but the entire set was high energy and I was on my feet moving around the entire time despite the fact that they were one of the last acts on Sunday. Even though my feet were sore and I was completely exhausted, I was able to forget about all that thanks to how engaging and entertaining of a show they put on.
The White Panda '16- The White Panda has played every year that I've been at Firefly but their set last year really stands out. They played in the pavilion last year and I got there early enough that I was able to be under the tent. The lasers, lights and energy during the set were all wonderful. I feel like they get some hate sometimes since they are mashup artists but I find them to be a lot of fun. The entire set is a giant dance party and sing along. How can you not have fun? One of the great things about them is that they always have new material since they combine lots of current hits. I'm glad they are on the lineup yet again this year and hope I get the chance to see them.
I can't wait to see who my favorite acts of 2017 are!
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