While surfing YouTube videos the other day I came across the first video below of Mumford and Sons performing “The Cave”. The crowd knows the lyrics so completely that the they overwhelm the lead singer Marcus Mumford for a moment and he cracks a huge smile. It gave me goosebumps down my whole body so I immediately began looking for more of these types of videos.

I’ve only experienced this kind of crowd at a few shows (Bassnectar at Red Rocks, Basslights, and Forest) and it was incredible. Having thousands of people all on the same page singing every word or perfectly timing drops is one of the reasons that I got sucked into the music scene a few years ago. Festival season is slowly coming to an end whether we like it or not, so here a few videos to remind you why music festivals are indescribable to those who didn’t experience it firsthand.

“The Cave” – Mumford and Sons at Reading Festival 

To kick off the list is Mumford and Sons performing “The Cave” at Reading Music Festival in England. He strums the first few notes and the crowd responds with a roar. After he hears their enthusiasm he can’t help but smile. I feel like when an audience is so in tune with the performer their energy surges right into them.

“Better Man” – Pearl Jam at MSG 

This video is “Better Man” being performed by Pearl Jam and crowd at Madison Square Garden four years ago. Eddie Vedder the lead singer plays the opening riff and begins to sing but the crowd is so loud Vedder lets them go. They sing for a full minute before he comes back on.

“Run” – Snow Patrol at Oxegen Music Festival 

The audience participating in this sing along with Gary Lightbody, the lead vocalist for Snow Patrol is massive. The camera pans over everyone and its bodies as far as the eye can see. They’re so loud I’m sure everyone in the crowd knew every single lyric to this song and was belting them out. The smile on his face at :40 is  pure joy. He’s cheesing so hard 1:23 I can only imagine how happy he must be.

“Tommy Gun” – Brand New at Electric Factory 

Brand New performing at a smaller venue than the videos thus far, but the energy is undeniable. Festival crowds are always great but sometimes you just can’t beat a small intimate venue. Wait for the “drop” at 2:10 where the crowd just loses it.

“Best of You” – Foo Fighters at Reading Festival 

After seeing another appearance on this list for Reading Festival I think I might have to make the trip to England. This one isn’t professionally filmed but it was so good I couldn’t exclude it.  Dave Grohl the lead singer for the Foo lets the crowd go on the “whoaaaa” for a whole minute while (I’m pretty sure) guitarist Chris Shiftlett stands in awe of the audience.

“Clarity” – Zedd at Webster Hall

Another amateur video that I couldn’t keep off the list is the crowd at Webster giving everything that have for one of electronic music’s favorite songs to sing to, “Clarity”. This video is from a year and a half ago when “Clarity” was at its peak so everyone had these lyrics imprinted on their minds. Zedd cuts all background noise to let the crowd handle the lyrics for this one.

There are more of these videos to be found on the internet but these were my favorites. They demonstrate the power of music and people in a harmony that can’t be recreated anywhere but in a live setting. I can only imagine what it must be like for the artists on stage to have a chorus of thousands raising their voices to something that you created. It must be emotional, humbling, and overwhelming all at the same time.

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