Music Festival Season Has Arrived, Don‘t Forget the Essentials - The SandPaper (2024)

Finally, a beautiful summer weekend, sans rain, to usher in June after a wishy washy spring. As this column was written from an outdoor concert on a Friday night, knocking on wood or some other superstitious expression might be warranted. At risk of pushing luck even further, the time has come: music festival season.

With the inevitable lawsuit finally coming down on the Ticketmaster/Live Nation megalopoly, it’s a festival season we can feel better about.

As a music writer and enthusiast with a partner in two active bands, we are taking full advantage of the opportunities to see music outside of our realm of work as well.

We took shows for granted for a long while. The real rude awakening for me was in 2016, when we lost both David Bowie and Prince in a matter of four months. Unfortunately, I’d never seen either of them live, assuming, like everyone else, that these larger-than-life icons actually belonged to a supernatural realm and were immortal. Since then, there’s never hesitation to see and support live music, especially those legends aging into their golden years. After the pandemic robbed us all of major gatherings, these opportunities feel all the more special.

We’ve been seizing every bit of music we can absorb ever since.

Last week, we enjoyed another gorgeous Friday and the first tailgate of the season at Camden’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, where we saw Hozier for the first time.

Hozier has been among my absolute favorite singer-songwriters for 11 years. However, since he’s based in Ireland, his tours are often broken up into segments so he can spread out across the world. Whenever he comes to America, his shows sell out almost immediately. When he announced he’d be adding Jersey to his itinerary, we jumped on the tickets.

Not only was his show even more incredible than we could have imagined, it was a milestone for Hozier, as well. He announced it was his biggest show, in terms of attendance, thus far in his career. Every one of the 25,000 seats in the amphitheater was occupied. While I’m sure he probably broke his own record in a matter of days, it was still special to be there. The energy was absolute magic.

This week, we are camping at The Great Divide Campground, in Newton, for a two-day music festival featuring Cosmic Jerry Band.

First of all, a few words on this campground. It’s on a spacious stretch of mountainous northwest Jersey. The grounds boast a lake, for fishing and kayaking, a massive in-ground pool, a playground and arcade for kids to enjoy. It’s a family-friendly paradise, but for Deadheads. The whole vibe gives the line “Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hands” a whole new meaning.

There’s a stigma around the idea that Deadheads can be part of a family-friendly environment. People seem to forget that nearly every music community has its shadow side, whether it be a culture of violence or overindulgent partying. Believe it or not, Deadheads come from families and even have families of their own! Heads are the pink and purple socks accidentally tossed into the white wash. They maybe found their way in after being outside a little too long, but they still fit just fine, and add a swirl of color to the mix.

Imagine tiny tots bopping to the beat with big, chunky headphones and sporting tie dye to match their parents; heads commenting on each others’ tour shirts to connect on a show they unknowingly shared; and families walking down from a day of swimming or fishing to sit around a bonfire and enjoy live music, happening all summer long. The Great Divide is a must for anyone who loves both camping and jam music. Check them out at campthegreatdivide.com.

This is my partner’s (Ty Mares, CJB guitarist) first camping festival, albeit as a player and not as an audience member. With that in mind, this week’s column is dedicated to the packing list.

Now that music festival season is in full swing, a list of essentials is in order. In many cases, concertgoers get so distracted by the fun things, like a grill, a cooler full of libations, and funky tapestries to transform a humble parking space into a harmonious homestead, that they forget about the necessities. Whether it’s for a local day-long concert or a full-on road trip to a four-day bash, there are a few non-negotiables. When taking any trip, it’s helpful to make a packing list to make sure crucial items don’t get left behind.

Tickets. OK, now that most tickets are mobile (which saves resources but is sad for collectors who keepsake their stubs), this is not as applicable as it was just a few years ago. Still, it’s a real bummer to make the trek, pay to park, and then discover the tickets are at home. Put those bad boys in the wallet (physical or digital), and double check before backing out of the driveway.

Hydration. It’s recommended that the average human drink 64 ounces (or about 2 liters) of water every day. If spending long days outside tailgating, dancing or walking far distances to and from shows, and especially if pregaming with alcohol (which is a diuretic), think about increasing fluid intake and adding in electrolytes.

Ditch single-use plastics, if possible. Not only are they bad for the environment, but they’re toxic to humans, especially after they’ve been sitting in the heat. Most venues allow patrons to carry in an empty, clear reusable water bottle, which is a great way to reduce waste. Fill a 32-ounce Nalgene at home and make a goal to drink it before going into the show. Then refill inside.

Powdered electrolytes double the benefit, and now come in fancy to-go packs for ease of travel.

Toilet paper. For multi-day fests and, really, parking-lot porta-potties, toilet paper is guaranteed to disappear in less than 90 minutes from gate opening. After that window closes, toilet paper on lot becomes a hot commodity. Have extra? Share it with a new friend or barter it for some lot merch.

Pro tip: hit the lavatory just before the show and then during a least-favorite tune. Going during set break is just asking for a bad time.

Trash bags. Maybe it seems ridiculously obvious, but it’s easy to forget to bring household products like utensils, utility knives, grill lighters and trash bags.

Trash receptacles fill up quickly and, unfortunately, they’re not always attended to, depending on the venue. In those cases, it’s our responsibility to pack out our trash rather than leaving it on the lot. Bring two and separate out recyclables, because many venues do not.

An extra trash bag can become a handy poncho in a pinch, which brings us to our next item …

Rain gear. It’s never the best-case scenario, but we can’t control the weather. My superstition tells me that if there’s no rain gear, it’s sure to rain. On the other hand, if there’s a jacket in the car, we won’t need it … but if we do, it’s there! Waterproof shoes and an extra pair of socks are always good to have on hand, as well, just in case.

Sun protection. Even in the best-case scenario, it’s good to be prepared for an excess of anything, especially sun. Hats, bandannas, sunglasses, SPF and lip balm are all good items to have on hand.

Ear protection. This one cannot be over-emphasized. If we want a lifetime of hearing music, we have to protect our hearing now. Not all shows are engineered the same, and the potential damage varies depending on where listeners are standing. The ideal place to hang out for the best sound is in the center, near the sound board. When possible, though, most people like to get as close to the band as they can, and that can have serious consequences if done repeatedly.

While some will complain it’s harder to have the same experience with earplugs in, rest assured that the technology has come a long way in the last two decades.

One of our favorites is Earasers (earasers.net), which run about $50 and have three filter options and four sizes to choose from. The down side is that the filters are built into the earplug and can’t be customized.

Then there are Eargasms (eargasm.com), which are about the same price as Earasers but with all sorts of stylish bundles to choose from – one for musicians, one for families (that includes over-ear headphones for kids) and even a flashy “rave” bundle for the EDM crowd. They even offer “Squishies,” which are moldable silicone plugs for swimming. The cool thing about Eargasms is that one set can be customized with three different filters, which gives a better bang for the buck than Earasers.

Get Packing

For the Next Show

There are plenty of music festivals happening right in Jersey to be stoked about.

The 12th annual Beardfest takes place June 13 through 16 in Hammonton. Beardfest offers attendees the opportunity to swim, camp and unplug in South Jersey’s beautiful Pinelands Preserve while enjoying music that spans a wide range of genres. Collaborate on large-scale murals throughout the campgrounds, practice yoga, participate in a variety of collaborative music-making activities and exchange ideas in various community workshops.

Beardfest’s lineup is expansive, featuring headliners Beardspace, Mononeon (who once played bass for Prince), Moon Hooch, Thumpasaurus, Octave Cat (highlighting Eli Winderman from Dopapod and Jesse Miller from Lotus) and Star Kitchen (with special guest Jeremy Schon from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong). Supporting acts include Fat Mezz, Ocean Avenue Stompers, Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise, and many, many more.

This one is built for jam. Visit beardfest.net to learn more or score tickets.

Even closer to home for some of us is the Hop Sauce Festival, happening on Saturday, June 15 in Beach Haven.

Now in its ninth year, Hop Sauce is a craft beer and hot sauce festival set to a soundtrack featuring an eclectic blend of live original artists.

This year’s lineup features North Jersey punk band Crazy & the Brains, five-piece powerhouse Des & the Swagmatics, surf rock trio The Cameramen, NYC-based funk duo The Du-Rites, Atlanta hip-hop artist Dillon Maurer and local bar band The Pickles.

The annual LBI tradition is the biggest Jetty event of the year, with proceeds going to the Jetty Rock Foundation, whose mission is to protect our oceans and waterways, and support those who build their lives around them.

General admission costs just $20, and kids younger than 12 are free. The next tier costs $60 and comes with a personal pilsner glass to sample over 50 craft brews. The KONA Big Wave VIP Experience costs $125 and grants private access to a VIP tent where food, beer and special amenities will be provided.

Check out jettyrockfoundation.org/pages/hopsauce to learn more about the event and purchase tickets. The sauce will be hot, the beer will be cool, and the beats will be bumping.

Just coming back from a festival, or excited about one coming up? Let us know.

monique@thesandpaper.net