If you were lucky enough to score tickets to this year’s Virgin Mobile Freefest, get excited. Twenty eclectic acts, three unique stages, one awesome outdoor venue in the midst of cool fall weather in Maryland…for free. Richard Branson is scoring major points with music lovers for the seventh year in a row.
Did I mention the diversity in the Freefest lineup? From Gareth Emery and Madeon, to The Avett Brothers and Vampire Weekend, there will be quite the variety in fans and beats. It looks like The Knocks, MGMT, The Avett Brothers and Vampire Weekend will take the main stage this year at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Ticketfly.com suffered from a barrage of fans during the 13 minutes in which the free tickets sold out. Download the Virgin Mobile Freefest iPhone app for a full list of set times, maps, festival info and more.
I always go into festivals with a plan and schedule of the artists I want to see. Sometimes it works, others not so much. Take an open mind and a water bottle and you’re good either way. Set conflicts are practically inevitable with multiple stages. With a little stage hopping (or jog-dancing-hula hooping), I plan on seeing the most bang for my no bucks.
The Knocks: Pavilion Stage, 12:15 pm– As producers, these two make a good team with B-roc’s immersion into hip-hop and Jpatt’s background in soul and funk. They’re rising to the top of the production ranks quickly and I think their remix-mashup style and early set time will set a good tone for the day.
Chvrches: West Stage, 2:15 pm– This electro-pop trio from Glasgow, Scottland intrigues me and I’m anxious to see the kind of energy they relay to their audience. Singer Lauren Mayberry’s high register voice flows with their heavy keyboard and synthesizer use.
Kaskade: West Stage, 5:15 pm– He’s been called the Number 1 DJ in America by DJ Times and Pioneer DJ. Aside from leading the wave of edm artists who believe in the transformative uplifting power of music, Ryan Raddon’s been around for more than a decade. Kaskade was also the first edm show I went to. I hold a special place in my heart for his live shows- the chance to see him for free is one I wouldn’t pass up. #eyes
Gareth Emery: Dance Forest, 7:30 pm– As a classically trained musician, Emery’s flawless blend of house trance and electro is perhaps at the root of his 5 year streak voted the UK’s Number 1 DJ. He’s been busy headlining sold out festivals and clubs across the globe. His first album, Northern Lights, took the number one spot on the iTunes US Dance chart and his latest single, Concrete Angel, has over 15 million Youtube views.
Pretty Lights: West Stage, 8:30 pm– I’ve seen Dereck Smith a number of times and have never been disappointed. You can feel his creativity flowing through the speakers. Smith decided at the end of his fall 2010 tour he wanted to show edm fans that it isn’t 100% about computer generated sounds “I needed to make an album that showed that it’s not all about making everything in the computer,” Smith said. “A history lesson, but still utterly contemporary.” The result- his labor intensive album, A Color Map of the Sun. It’s always funky and always a dance party. Not to mention the wicked light show.
Madeon: Dance Forest, 9:20 pm– Hugo Leclercq was inspired by a documentary about Daft Punk he saw when he was 11. He learned to make music shorty after and began uploading his work online. After winning an online remix contest hosted by drum and bass experts Pendulum, legends like Pete Tong, Steve Angello, Martin Solveig, and Annie Mac started to raise his credibility. The 18 year old has been been touring the world ever since.
Gates open at 11! See you in the forest. #FREEFEST
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