As one of the newest festivals to the scene, the Summer Set Music & Camping Festival underwent some significant changes in its third year and has now become a must-attend festival for those in the nearby Minnesota/Wisconsin area. With its convenient location for Midwesterners and the super reasonable ticket prices, the festival’s attendance was bigger and better than ever this year—which also means the shows were louder, the security higher, the lineup bigger… and the people crazier.
I remember my first time to Summer Set in 2012. With cars lined up for hours to go through security check and a hockey rink as the electronic shows arena, it was clear that Summer Set could use some improvements. Coming back two years later where there are now four stages, a Ferris wheel, lines of food vendors, and Bassnectar as the festival closer, my experience at Summerset was completely changed. Not to say there still aren’t things that could use improvement but all in all, Summer Set, ya did good.
Photo by Kevin Dickey
Looking back on the weekend, there are several things that really made the festival one to remember. Not necessarily in any order, here are the five best things at Summer Set 2014:
The Apple River
For those who attend and do not take advantage of this semi-clean body of water mere minutes away from the festival, you really need to factor this into your routine. There is absolutely nothing more satisfying than waking up, dunking yourself in a cold rocky body of water, and pretending you’re clean the rest of the day. Doesn’t sound great? Think again. The first day of the festival you feel like a million bucks, the second day you think, “Eh this isn’t the worst—I could maybe have more dirt on my feet and in my hair,” but by Day 3 there is nothing closer to a feeling of nirvana than cleansing the festival away in the Apple River. Not only does the river provide this for festi-goes, but it provides the perfect escape from the hustle and noise of the crowds. While thousands of attendees camp here, it feels like an un-crowded paradise in comparison to the close quarters and bright lights we all experience at the Summer Set camp ground.
Flying Lotus and a Ferris wheel
At first I was intimidated by this ride sitting on the concrete at the Summer Set amphitheater; I thought it was dangerous, overpriced, and didn’t offer much of a view. Boy was I wrong. The five minutes and six dollars I spent on this magical ride was a massive highlight of the weekend. Not only do you get to see the acts performing on the main stage while hovering above, but you also get to feel the wind in your hair as you gaze from above and others sweat from below, wishing they were you. The only trick to this ride: line management. It’s truly all about the timing. I was lucky enough to snag a spot in a short line just hours before the headlining act, with a perfect view of the sun as it set over Flying Lotus’s “Putty Boy Strut.” I checked back on the line during Bassnectar so completely ready to stand in it for a glimpse of the crowd during his set, but alas the line being long and people who thought they were in line but really weren’t at all were too much to handle during such an epic closing set. The timing was key; it’s all about the timing on this one.
Photo by Kevin Dickey
Wu-Tang Clan’s comeback
The notorious clique drew a massive crowd for their 9 PM set on Saturday. At festivals it’s inevitable that you meet hoards of new people from all over, and a natural question to ask is “Who are you most excited to see?” Wu-Tang was an obvious huge draw for tons of Summer Set goers, and their set did not disappoint. With a bass to be heard miles away and unforgiving lyrics, the Clan (or at least a portion of it) got everyone riled up for the Big Gigantic headlining show, no pun intended.
Bassnectaaaa in the open air
Bassnectar was the foremost attraction for the entire festival, it seemed. If his family photo from the show with the caption…
“THANK YOU @summersetfest!!! When Festivals give the opportunity to play without sound interference it opens up so many magical doors of possibility – hands down my favorite set of the summer [other festivals, take note]”
…is any indication of how those 90 minutes went down, I think you get the idea. Bassnectar has been a huge part of the summer festival scene longer than many other DJs, and the experience of finally seeing him play in such a huge outdoor area was a dream come true for many. As the bass rattled the ground and thousands of jumping fans filled the amphitheater, Bassnectar threw down the biggest set of the weekend and closed Summer Set 2014 feeling as happy as his fans.
Totem poles that are Big and Gigantic
I don’t know about anyone else but when I saw the giant octopus making its rounds through the crowd, I felt like I was spotting a celebrity. The creature made of glowing lights and fabric has been to more festivals than I could ever imagine fitting in one summer. When Big Gigantic hopped on stage, the octopus along with countless other totem poles jumped high and mighty in the air and, for the hour and a half long set, almost as mesmerizing as the jazz funk I could hear was that spectacular sight as well. Big G has headlined Summer Set before and just when you think you’ve already seen their set, Big G surprises everyone with thrown downs like Savage’s “Swing” and the crowds (and totem poles) go berserk.
Summer Set 2014, you have surpassed your previous years and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for 2015.