Words and Photos by Emma Hintz
So it’s been a month since I visited Delaware (a state I thought I would never step foot into) for Firefly Music Festival, after a month to reflect on the experience I had, I can safely say that Firefly Music Festival reigns supreme as one of the top tier music festivals in the US. The lineup was extremely diverse in terms of genre, EDM, rap, indie, pop, and even harcore, firefly music festival had it all. On top of a killer lineup, firefly was overall a very well put together festival, the stages weren’t too far apart from each other, and the festival grounds were extremely easy to navigate making it easy to run from set to set, and best of all there was a ferris wheel that overlooked the main stage, I was able to see my favorite band while on the top of a ferris wheel, how many people can say that.
The fest felt like my little home for four days, that walk up to the festival gates from the parking lot became a routine, the second table in the center of the media tent became my own little work desk, by the last day I became really sad thinking about leaving behind the friends I made throughout the fest, and leaving behind the routine that I had adopted for what felt like weeks (in the best way possible).
The other day I was really reflecting on some of the sets I saw at firefly, and a few stood out to me in particular, that were pretty unexpected. Joey Valence and Brae was an unexpected favorite, I didn’t even realize who they were when I first looked at the lineup, and about 15 minutes before their set I realized they were the rap duo who had popped up on my fyp on TikTok quite a few times. Once I realized who they were I was super pumped for their set, and they did not disappoint. The energy they brought to the stage in the middle of the day was unbeatable, they were able to get the crowd up and moving, even people who had no idea who they were. Indigo De Souza was another unexpected favorite, while I was very excited for her set, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I was a casual listener of her music before the festival, I only knew her older music for the most part, but her set made me realize just how much of a powerhouse she really is. I have never felt so moved after a set, tears were streaming down my face the entire time. I looked over to my friend (and fellow contributor Emma Fischer) and saw we had both been crying her entire set, that’s how good it was.
Haim was another act that I was excited for but wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did, I was once again just a casual listener of their music (my song 5 does remain one of the best songs of all time of course) but after seeing them at the fest I have definitely gone back and listened to all of their music I didn’t know. They were absolutely incredible live, I even texted my dad after seeing my song 5 live to tell him that it was one of the best songs I have ever seen live, period. That’s the beauty of music festivals really, you are able to see artists you would never go out of your way to see on their own, and some artists you’ve never even heard of. Seeing an artist live gives you an entirely new perspective on their music, it can really make or break your opinion on an artist.
Of course I can’t end this article without discussing My Chemical Romance’s set, because I think it truly changed me as a person. My Chemical Romance is a band I never thought I would be able to see live, I of course was an emo kid growing up, but more than that my dad used to always play our local rock + alternative stations in the car growing up, so I grew up on all of the hits. I vividly remember sitting in the backseat of my dad's Toyota Sienna listening to Helena on the way to Kindergarten, it is truly one of my first memories of enjoying a song, so of course I sobbed uncontrollably when they played it.
Overall Firefly Music Festival was an experience I will truly never forget, and I am extremely grateful I was able to attend and photograph such a stellar lineup. I hope to return next year, and if you haven’t been to the festival yet I highly suggest you do the same. It is definitely a festival to experience at least once in your life (if you are a lover of music).
Emma Hintz
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