Summer always brings excitement for music festivals.
Which is why Sad Summer Fest’s arrival had been a topic of curiosity and excitement since it was hinted at late March earlier this year. The announcement of the headliners- The Maine, Mayday Parade, State Champs, and The Wonder Years*- only stirred up more excitement for what seemed to be the “new Warped Tour”. Which obviously meant I bought tickets to the Houston, Texas date.
Upon arrival, I immediately thought the fest was interesting, from the pink decorations, banners, and “doll box”. With only one stage to grab my attention navigation was not an issue at all. The atmosphere of the entire festival was welcoming (without being overwhelming), for both the bands and the fans.
The entire message of the festival was to have a day or a moment in a day were you can put aside your troubles and just enjoy music in a place where everyone else is there for similar reasons to yours.
So let’s talk about my reason for checking out Sad Summer Fest (besides the cool merch)….
The Music
Forever The Sickest Kids
Watching Forever The Sickest Kids you wouldn’t be able to tell that they have been in a soft retirement for six years (as they played So What? Music Festival in 2017). Their energy and stage presence was of a band that was performing another night on tour and felt completely comfortable on stage. The band performed classic hits from “Hey Brittany” to “She’s A Lady,” and at any point when Jonathan (Cook) wasn’t singing the audience was singing the lyrics right back.
Mayday Parade
By the time Mayday Parade was coming on the sun thankfully was going down and the crowd was building up a second wind. That being said, whoever chose to start the set with their slower tempo song “Oh Well, Oh Well” was wise. The song was the perfect introduction to the band for anyone in the crowd who might not have heard of the band, and a great throwback for any long time fans. Still, Mayday Parade’s set was filled with a good combination of hit staple songs like “Jamie All Over” and “Three Cheers For Five Years” and just as good songs from their newest album Sunnyland like “Looks Red, Taste Blue”.
State Champs
State Champs is best when you listen to them live. That’s it, that’s the review. Okay jokes aside, State Champs really are one of those bands where their albums are good but when they play live it’s better. Maybe it’s the combination of the band feeding off the energy of the crowd and vice versa (or maybe it’s because I was in between two pits?), but honestly, I think it’s just because they were just having fun. Hearing the songs “Secrets” and “Elevated” live were amazing, and the entire experience of seeing State Champs live for the first time has made me want to keep an eye out for the next time they are in town.
The Maine
This was my second time seeing The Maine, my first time being last May in Austin, and despite hearing the songs only two months ago, it still felt like a brand new experience. Somehow I snagged a place near the barricade and still had space to dance around while screaming the lyrics to “Am I Pretty?” along with the band. The Maine was amazing with interacting with the crowd, from getting people to dance, to pulling a guy on stage to sing some of the lyrics of “Girls Do What They Want” to the audience. Overall it was the perfect ending to an amazing day.
Is Sad Summer Fest the New Warped Tour?
The simple answer is no. However, why would anyone want a Warped Tour Lite? We’ve already had Warped Tour, and I’m sure we will all miss it, but with it gone it opens up space for other cool festivals. Such as Sad Summer Fest, a place that was fun, fan centered, and filled with potential. I do hope Sad Summer Fest becomes an annual event, but if it does not, I’m glad I got to experience the summer of pink. Even if only for a day!
Sad Summer Fest is still going, to buy tickets you can find them here!
*The Wonder Years headline on select dates