So, I’m boycotting winter.

It is April for cripes sakes! I’m thinking about summertime, meaning it is time to start planning out concerts and music festivals!

On a poor college student’s budget I have carefully been planning how much plasma I must donate to be able to afford an Avett Brothers, Dave Matthew’s Band and Lollapalooza ticket.

If you haven’t been to a music festival yet, that needs to change.

Regardless of music preference, there is a concert for you!

Milwaukee’s Summerfest features a variety of artists — when I was there Katy Perry was a headliner, but I saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Life made. Warped Tour is a mostly punk-rock festival (but I saw Katy Perry there once … so …).

There are rock festivals, country festivals, electronic festivals, seriously anything.

But there are so many things to consider before buying tickets to these festivals.

Who do you want to go with?

This is actually incredibly important. Personally, I love to be up in the action, jumping and screaming and dancing, but I’ve been to concerts with people who just wanted to chill. That can be such a downer and really ruin the experience.

I may or may not have just snuck off by myself once or twice.

If you are going with a group, most likely you will be safe because there should be at least one person who fits your concert style.

What do you need to bring?

Being the hip, trendy person that I am, I have to bring an inhaler to concerts. I’ll let that soak in for a minute.

But seriously. I have really mild asthma and at a Blink-182 concert while I was being crushed and smooshed between large men attempting to mosh on the floor, I started having an asthma attack.

Whether it be sunscreen, your lucky fanny pack or your concert cowboy hat, don’t forget it!

When should you be buying tickets?

Well, it’s always better to play it safe. Bonnaroo and Lollapolooza both only have one option for tickets left. I’m sure there are lots of tickets you can buy from scalpers, but for the rest of the concerts, if you want a good deal, buy as soon as you can.

It would be a bummer if the $30 Avett Brother tickets I still need to purchase were suddenly $90. I better go buy them … NOW!

Let’s check out what music festivals The Spectator staff has checked out!

I went to Country Jam this summer in Eau Claire and it was unexpected, so instead of paying for a ticket I decided to try to test my luck and I
decided to sneak in. Unfortunately, I was caught and reprimanded for my wrongdoings.

— Steve Freuhauf, Copy Editor

I’ve gone to Summerfest for as long as I can remember, even as a small child I would go with my parents. That’s really been the only musical festival I’ve ever been to but I’d really like to go to Sasquatch! music festival out near Seattle or South by Southwest in Austin! Oh my god! They are on my list of dreams.

— Taylor Kuether, Managing Editor

Basically there is this big outdoor area right in front of the downtown skyline in Minneapolis, outside the Walker Art Center, so it has like the epitomy of Minneapolis with the spoon and the cherry and all that. And it’s called Rock the Garden. It seemed like the greatest lineup of all time … and it was just a very small small festival and it sells out so quickly. It seems like this very secluded festival to go to. It’s a sweet vibe for a festival.

— Tyler Tronson, Graphic
Designer (stood outside and listened)