The Aftermath of My First Festival
Music has always been apart of my life. To be honest, I don’t know many people who can say it hasn’t. From hearing and singing kid songs when we are little, to knowing word for word the songs of our favorite cartoons ( I still know all the words to Animaniacs ), to the songs that help us grow as teens to adults and then grow simply as adults. Some songs hold more meaning then others and some music genres hold the key to our emotions like a faucet. And as far as my emotions and music taste go, they range all over the place. And as it is now known today, EDM is my current state of mind.
Growing up in a big city, NYC, music of all kinds is easy to come by. Rock to Rap to the electric scene can be found on every corner, at almost every club growing up, and at even at a young age, I would be able to see and hear these types of music live. These all hold a special place in my heart and this past weekend, it was all brought to a head and exploded all over a 500 acre farm in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. To say I had a great time is an understatement and I believe it needs some more understanding and clarification. TomorrowWorld is the first of its kind here in the US. The inaugural festival birthed from the 9 year running Belgium hit, TomorrowLand. It’s decision to come to the US was not much of a surprise, as the money that would be made here may top a lot of festivals, but the way in which they went about it was a surprise. A 21 plus event of this size was unheard of and left the festival with some lofty expectations they may not fill. Did they fill these? Excuse me while I laugh for a second or two, but I digress.
The event was set, the stage was set and with no lineup other then then hopes and dreams of the European example left us year after year, tickets would be sold and I will be in front of my computer buying tickets the second, and I mean second they go on sale. Would I be the only one? No. Will they sell out as quickly as TomorrowLand? No. Do I care? No! For in my mind, this will be the best festival the US has ever seen and I will have the time of my life. What a perfect way to set myself up for failure if I say so myself. But as this festival has been able to do all year since its announcement in coming to the states, it has lived up to its hype.
SHM or better known as Swedish House Mafia have ruled the airwaves for a number of years, just recently went on their farewell tour this past year and simply destroyed every concert venue they played. With their breaking up, that means the possibility of three separate great sets at any major festival that would be lucky enough to grab them. It happened at TomorrowLand, but would it happen here in the states? Nope it wouldn’t, as Steve Angello would be holding his second Size in the Park, two day event. What would this mean to me? Being as he is one of my favorite DJ’s at the moment, not to mention that his two day event would be held in Central Park NYC, where I live. And strike one hits the event in my books. Let’s hope it ends there and it just about did. There were numerous DJ’s in which I wanted to see, from Dirty South to Avicii, that would not be spinning the event, but with the Main Stage loaded with names I wanted to see and the smaller staged names I have been hearing about for months and years, how could I possibly complain?
From the months before to the days and hours leading up to the long drive down to Georgia, over 15 hours to be exact, the nervousness set in. Sweaty palms, constant conversations with friends about why they are stupid for not coming, these days would be like walking the green mile. A final walk where everything as you once knew it, is now over and a new life will set in. What is this new life and what does it hold for me. Am I ready for it? How much will I change as a person? Is this a good change and will it be for the better? And last but not least, am I ready for what is about to come my way and hit me square in the face? That answer to the last one, No, No I wasn’t ready.
At the start of this article I talked about the importance of music to an individual. I spoke about how it can change lives, build emotions and each person has different meanings to different songs and genres of music. Let’s discuss how this all came about and brought together around 40,000 people each day and how it all meant to me in what is now to be known as “The Greatest Weekend of my Life”.
To a newbie in the festival scene, there are many questions that are asked, but one thing is always a must, to have fun! Then to each person, the “fun” part must be broken down. Well, there is the music, and TomorrowWorld had it by the shit ton, but we will get into that later. Then there are the people, the ones you will be calling neighbor for the next couple of days. But to me, these neighbors quickly became friends, and friend I am sure I will not lose anytime soon. Very few things will bring people closer together then having to camp it out, wait for showers and bathrooms and deal with the stench that is a port-o-potty. In my situation, it actually started in a small town right outside of Rome, Italy where my family is from. Never in my wildest dream did I believe I would not only meet someone from this town, but it would happen to be the first person I talked to other then the people I drove down with. My friendship group at TW just grew by three. Then enters in probably the most unlikely of characters, an Aussie who will enter the story a little bit later as there is more to him then simply his back ground. Add one more to the group. Two more quiet kids from Minnesota with the canopy set up perfectly to people watch the boardwalk, well add two more friends to the mix. And last but not least, probably the four chillest and down to earth people I have met in a long time, all the way from Alabama. All of this, on the first day, of my first festival ,in my first camping area, all next to my tent, ready for the weekend to commence, so o boy did it commence.
The people aspect of the event is now in the books. A big check mark can now be added and the next phase can begin. What brought these people here and what is bringing us so close. Music... Good. Fucking. Music. And here is where we started at the start of this article. What does music mean to me, to them and how has it made this festival one to remember. EDM has always had a place in my heart, as the club scene has been there for as long as I could remember. Certain songs and certain types of EDM are stronger with me then other. For example, Hard style and the Q Stage was not my place to be, but with the full respect given to it and its fans, I could understand their love for it. Most of the people I wanted to see were on the main stage at TomorrowWorld. From Tiesto to Quintino, to W&W to Hardwell, my walking was short, my dancing and jumping were often, and then sweating nonstop. But who was to see it with me. I had an agenda, I had people I wanted to see and that was that. Well to my surprise, a lot of people wanted to see it as well. Every set I saw I was met by a friend. Every set I was at raging hard, there were hundreds of others doing the same. Every set I saw was better then the next and I did not want it to end. But what made this music heaven a reality, was not only the music, but sharing in it with my new friends from the camp site. “Tell me your favorite set of the day”. “what do you plan on seeing tomorrow?” “Pass the hookah”. These were the questions and comments heard most at the site and would strike conversations about ones lives back at home, what the day was like and what our pasts were like. Well one thing I never really shared about my past is the thought that would cross my mind the whole weekend and come crashing down at the end.
All of my blabbering, all of my rhetoric about music and what it means to me and others all came together with the final act to this musical play. With three major acts spinning on the last day to close out the festival, in my mind there was only one place I wanted to be, Armin van Buuren at the main stage. Who would I go with, well I didn’t care I was going. The king of Trance, DJ Mags #1 DJ four years running and it doesn’t look like its going to stop this year either. But will I be going alone? Nope. Everyone wanted to go. All of our group. And by the last day our group was 15 deep. A group of people brought together for the music, stayed together for the laughs and conversations and felt the music in togetherness as a family. But what happened next I did not expect. Not me by any means necessary. The group tried to meet up before to watch the final set, but for some reason, it didn’t work out. We were scattered all over the place. But did that stop us from meeting? No, we randomly all ran into each other. All 15 of us! How lucky are we? As the music played, we would all look at each other and comment how epic the set was, and it was. The closer to the end the words “best DJ in the world” would come out of our mouth a lot. Yet, to me, it was the music speaking. The music was hitting my soul, making me feel a certain way. I would think back to everything that was going on the past couple of days, the people I met, the music I would hear, the “family” I would find and the emotions would set in. But where would these emotions bring me?
I said as a joke before we left for the festival that I would cry during Armin’s set because I would miss everything after it would be over. Never in my right mind did I think it would happen. As he came on the announce it was his last song it started to set in, it was ending. Soon enough I would leave my new friends I can now call family. I would have to get back to the real life and go back to what I once knew which is not where I wanted to be. Then it happened. That voice. That song. Is this real life, I thought to myself. Out comes the first tear. As I struggle to wrap my brain around the unlikely events that are occurring at this moment it hit me again. Tear number two. Now my brain is fighting the emotions, fighting the tears all while trying to enjoy my time here with the people I am enjoying it with, listening to the music I have been waiting for all weekend. Yes, the music, and there is goes again, tear number three. At this point the build up was coming and the bass was going to drop. I looked into the sky, pointed to the heavens, closed my eyes and embraced what would happen next. The feeling that took over me was not of my own, but of my guardian angel, one of the most talented people I have met in my life. My brother Jason Brian. The artiest. The musician. The ladies man. My best friend. Where did this come from? Why all of a sudden. What brought all this about and one simple word will answer this all and will explain my joy, my sadness and my elated state of mind that brought this festival to its knees. Nirvana. My brothers favorite band, favorite songs to sing, mimic and imitate. That sound, those lyrics and everything that embodies it means more to me then one can ever imagine.
Talking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, everything about TomorrowWorld reminds me of him. From the friends made with no prejudice, to the overall love of music, to the conversations with the ladies would have been totally his cup of tea. This was his event in my mind once that song sang out those speakers. The last song of an amazing set. The last voice to hear from the best DJ in the world at arguably the best festival in the states ever. it all came to a head. It all made sense to me. Someone was looking down on me wanting me to have fun. I mean for fucks sake I lost my phone the first day, which means I had to enjoy the music and not try to record it. I had to meet people and not just want to take pictures. I had to have normal conversations with real people there then text people at home. The music moved me. The artistry of the stages moved me. The people moved me. All attributes of my brother. Jason Brain Farino.
Armin played me like a book. Lifted me up and strung me along for the ride of a lifetime and helped me to understand it all. When asked today what was the best set of the weekend, there is no other answer then AVB. The music is what brought me here, but everything else is what made it the best weekend of my life. I will never forget the people. I will never forget the stages. I will never forget the walks and the conversations. I will never forget the feeling I got each time the bass dropped. I will never forget the beautiful ladies roaming around each day making any man smile. But most of all, I will never forget my new family. The music brought us together and it will keep us together for many years to come, I will be sure of it.
What does music mean to me? It means everything. It brought joy, helped me meet new and interesting people. Help bring an Aussie to the states and a member of my new “family”. It helped bring to life laughter and love for one another only seen in certain times and places. It brought my brother back to me when I probably needed him the most.
10-13-2001 is the day my older brother, my best friend passed away from a drug overdose. The half sleeved tattoo on my right arm is for him and only once was I asked about it. Yet the thought of him never left the whole weekend and he came alive at the end. He brought me to music, helped me to understand it and to love everything, not just one kind. He helped me to appreciate art and the skill it take to complete anything form of art, from paintings to sculpture to music. And he helped me to better myself in the end, to want more and to become more. He was always the best, played the best and had the best looking girls around him at all times. He was my hero and Armin strung me along for the ride of my lifetime. Thank you to TomorrowWorld for making this happen for me. Thank you to the DJ’s for doing it all justice. Thank you to the people for the laughs, and thank you to my new family for making it all worth it.
Knowing my story, knowing my brother you are probably wondering what is he thinking, saying right now about me and what happened this past weekend. Well I can tell you this, he is looking at Kurt Cobian, pointing at me and saying, “See that guy right there, yea that guy sparkle, thats my brother and I am proud”. And as I’m sure Kurt would reply, “ Isn’t glitter the herpes of the arts and crafts world?
Cliff Hanger Much?
