Music Midtown: Sending Summer Off With a Bang

Weezer performed on Sept 16 at the Roxy Stage, performing their oldest hits and many of the newer ones. The band was able to entertain a wide range of people in the crowd, screaming along to songs that many would call legendary.

Holley Murray, Staff Writer
October 19, 2017

Some places in the world irresistibly give the feeling that reality is somehow altered within, as though less problems exist and time is less real. Held in Piedmont Park on Sept. 16 and 17, Music Midtown is certainly one of those places. The two-day, four-stage music festival attracted thousands upon thousands of visitors despite the nearly unbearable heat, packing Piedmont Park with concertgoers and the sound of music everywhere one goes.

This year, Music Midtown was headlined by Bruno Mars, Mumford and Sons, Blink 182 and Future. However, although most anticipated, the headlining acts were only the beginning of an amazing set of artists. Throughout the day, the four stages would host lesser known artists such as Young the Giant, Weezer, Bastille, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and Tove Lo.

“Bastille and Weezer were phenomenal,” said junior Caroline Steinman. “The crowds were so electric and the lights and stage setup were incredible.” Truly, seeing everything come together for the festival makes it almost come alive, so much so that the logistics seem miraculous. Attendees left Piedmont Park covered in spilled drinks and carelessly thrown trash after Bruno Mars’ show on Saturday night, and returned the next morning to see everything cleaned up for another day of elaborate light shows and fireworks.

It is important to note that the experience of Music Midtown extends far beyond just a weekend of concerts; offering lines of local food trucks and advertising booths for various companies, many offering free contest entry or giveaways. Even if (although it is rare) a concertgoer finds themselves at the park with no shows of interest happening at that moment, it is an experience in and of itself simply to be there, sitting on the grass drinking Coca-Cola and listening to the live music in the distance.

In addition to getting the opportunity to see 34 artists on four stages, some groups (including Milky Chance, AJR, Circa Waves, COIN, and Judah & The Lion) spent time at the Honda x Waterloo Records Signing Stage to meet attendees for free, taking pictures and signing merchandise. It gave the festival a more intimate feeling for concertgoers to be able to talk face to face with the people on the stage.

“The concerts I saw at Music Midtown progressively got better and better with each show. By the end of the weekend, Mumford and Sons had become my favorite concert experience I had ever been a part of,” Sophomore Erica Becnel described the festival. Despite being surrounded by tens of thousands of people, Music Midtown remained an unforgettable experience for anyone who attended.