Summerfest 2024 just wrapped up and it was a good time. I only started attending this major music festival after I met my husband. Before then, I was pretty restricted to shows in Chicago. Once I met him, I started being able to widen my search and go to Milwaukee. If you’re unfamiliar, Summerfest is the world’s largest music festival. So, pre-pandemic 2020, this festival used to run 11 straight days. Now it runs three separate weekends from Thursday-Saturday which makes it only nine days total now. Out of those nine days, I went to four of them.
Now before we dive any further, I should let you know that this isn’t necessarily a review of the festival or its logistics itself but my experience with the festival this year and why I enjoyed it. We are all entitled to our own opinions and I know many others don’t agree with me on the lineup, but that’s not what I thought. I thought the lineup was decent and on the days where I could go, I looked forward to it.
I have been trying to do better with enjoying shows minus the phone so most of these photos were taken on my last day there with the idea that I was going to write this review. I tried my best to provide some general shots vs just the artists I saw and cared about. I’ll admit, it’s a sloppy job. Sorry guys!
Festivals are not exactly the most affordable, but that’s when you need to research the most. I spent a lot of time reading on the entire list of promotions and free admission days. I was also lucky enough to score a free ticket from a friend who won some. So out of those four days, I did not pay for admission once. Single day admission is $28, so I saved a grand total of $112, not including those hidden fees and taxes. With each day having some kind of promo for free or discounted entry into the fest, I think they did a pretty good job at it. I did, however, wonder why there is not a sports team or Brewers gear day. The fest takes place during baseball season so I feel like having Brewers Pride would be a given. That's just me.
I do also think it’s a little bit whack to have general admission separate from the front pit area and require special conditions to access it. You either pay for the upgrade, find passes, win them, or just be in the right place at the right time. Each stage upgrade varies on its sponsor.
Food is definitely spread out with plenty of choices to choose from. I tried the Saz’s sampler combo one day and to be honest, I thought it was underwhelming. The mozzarella sticks weren’t very stringy, the cheese curds were cold, and I didn’t quite like the mariana sauce dominating everything. I think it needs to be put on the side in a cup like the ranch. The real winner for me were the carne asada fries I found. They were delicious. I had those a second time during one of my visits. But staying on a budget was important, so I really limited myself to one big meal and then buying water. Thank goodness for all the free snacks around I didn’t have to worry about going hungry. I snacked on Peanut Butter M&Ms, Dunkin Iced Coffee, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Bubblr, and of course, are we really in Wisconsin without cheese?
But enough about the food and costs. Let’s get to the real important part: the music. My favorite part of attending any music festival is discovering new artists. I saw or overheard a handful of bands I did not know of or listened to. I was not disappointed by any act I caught for even a second. Everyone brought their A-Game. My highlight of this year was All-American Rejects. They are an artist I’d been a long time fan of and yet have missed seeing them live several times. Finally getting to rock out to them was well worth it. It was no easy feat either. The day they played was a rainy wet one. I posted up at the stage where they were supposed to play at 5:30pm. They were set to start at 9:30pm. In those four hours, I watched kids play Simon Says and The Metric rock out. I also dealt with some sloppy drunk people behind me. By the time they took the stage, it was crowded. It also decided to start raining. There’s just something different about watching a band play while it downpours around you and water is dripping down your sleeves soaking you to the skin. It’s an experience. It’s a moment that honestly should be experienced at some point in your life because it’s indescribable. Did I love sitting on that bus ride home soaked to the bone? Not really. Was it rejuvenating? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely 100%. I’m glad I waited out and did it. Thank you All-American Rejects for a great set.
Another favorite set was the Boys Like Girls in the AmFam House. Summerfest has a little house called the AmFam House and several featured artists on the lineup get invited to do a special limited acoustic set. To get inside the house you gotta wait in a line for 1-2 hours before the set. If you’re one of the first 50 lucky people, you get a mini meet & greet with the artist afterwards. I wasn’t originally planning on making that cut but I did. You get a photo, quick "hi" with the band, and a signed poster. It was definitely a super cool little experience that day. This same day had one of the best lineups. Boys Like Girls would be closing down the stage where I found the hidden lucky passes to the front pit area, so score! That very same stage, a local band, Gold Steps opened up the day and bought a killer set to start off a beautiful day on the lakefront. I’m extremely biased because that was my twenty-third seeing them as they’re some good friends of mine.
I love that Summerfest gives opportunities to the local Milwaukee and surrounding areas because without that I never would have been able to finally see Lake Drive tear up the Generac stage. And before them, Chicago legends, Definitely Maybe rocked out with the crowd. The local scene might be small but it is mighty and growing every day.
I saw so many of my favorites perform, bands that I’ve been following for years like Set It Off and Sleeping with Sirens. In fact, I love them both so much that I spent over an hour playing a mini golf hole-in-one challenge to win a free wristband upgrade for their front pit. It was a challenge and very frustrating, but the hard work paid off and I eventually won. It was absolutely worth it being in the front, it meant I could post up at LØLØ and miss the first fifteen minutes of Set It Off yet still get a decent view of their performance. You win some, you lose some.
To sum it up, Summerfest 2024 was a good one and I cannot wait to see what they bring next year!
P.S. The sky glider is worth it and you should take a ride on it if you ever get the chance.
Commentaires