Last weekend, Philadelphia stole my heart. Downtown Philly’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway was home to Jay-Z’s annual Made in America Festival, sponsored by Budweiser and Tidal. Here were our favorite moments!
1. Being a Tourist
I’m an obsessive Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan, so naturally my friend and I got to the city a day early so I could get my tourist on. We went to Mac’s Tavern, AND that fountain the gang is always causing trouble in. One of the coolest things I saw, though, was this painting near our Air BnB!
2. Arriving to M.I.A.
I hadn’t been to a festival in a couple years, so I forgot just how amazing it is. Not only are you surrounded by overpriced, mildly delicious food, but there’s tons of other activities. For example, this cool swing ride thing. I screamed a lot during it.
3. Lil Uzi Vert
Uzi was the first person we saw at Made in America. We also made friends with the people around us in the crowd. Festival Tip: Make friends with a good group so that when people start pushing, you guys have each other’s back!
4. Harambe If I had a dollar for every Harambe reference I saw at this festival, I’d be able to buy a VIP ticket to Coachella. The meme came in so many different forms that weekend: shirts, backpacks, bucket hats, and even hearing “Harambe was innocent!” while waiting for Rihanna to grace us with her angelic presence. The photo above shows how the festival volunteers got in on it too.
5. Rihanna
She was flawless! Her voice and dance moves were so magical that the physical pain I was in from festivaling all day went away almost immediately after she appeared on stage. She also gave a great speech urging us all to vote. Also, there were voter registration booths all over the festival – very cool!
6. St. Lucia I’ve loved this band since freshman year, so seeing them in person for the first time was extra special. They even ended their set with my favorite song, “Elevate.” The best moment, however, was when the lead singer got into the crown and was practically two feet away from me!
7. Travis Scott
I had never been in a mosh pit in my entire life…but there’s a first time for everything. Travis played a bunch of songs from his new album “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight”, which is my favorite album of 2016 so far. People were pushed (me), some people cried (random girl), and bruises were given (I have two). I regret nothing! Travis got in a tree for his hit “Antidote” and we all went nuts. Take me back!
8. We Met Thomas Rhett
I’m a pop and country songwriter, so as you’d imagine, I freaked out when I saw Thomas Rhett and his gorgeous wife Lauren walking arm in arm. My friend gave me the courage to basically chase after them (normal) and ask for a photo. Thomas obliged and I even told him I was a songwriter! Hopefully I’ll see him again in a studio some day soon!
9. Coldplay — Specifically Chris Martin’s Beautiful Face
We were lucky enough to be two rows from the stage during Coldplay’s set. Chris jumped and danced like he was having the time of his life. He’s just the cutest, even when he forgot his lyrics on stage and had to start a song over.
Although festivals are expensive, I encourage you to save up and go for it – you’ll make memories that last a lifetime!