Tips For Attending Bonnaroo

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ROOOOOOOOO. This is probably one of my favorite music experiences I’ve had the pleasure of attending. Music festivals are where it’s at, yo.

The first year I got to go to Bonnaroo was in 2016 – I had won a day trip (thanks do615) from Nashville to attend one day of the festival. We got to take a bus that dropped us off and picked us up. All the drinking to be had, with no worries about sleeping in a tent or driving home. With Bonnaroo grounds only located about an hour outside of Nashville, it was a pleasant experience. However, this didn’t truly prepare me for the next year where my friends & I spent the entire 4 days at the festival.

First time festival go-ers, we were. And we had no idea how to navigate the grounds, the schedule, & how to manage our time to get the best experience (but by no means am I saying it wasn’t the absolute BEST TIME I’VE HAD). We just didn’t realize to be picky about who we go see, when to nap, & to bring as many fans as we can muster. It was insanely hot during the day, but got super chilly at night. The hot sun would wake you up at daybreak (about 6 or 7 in the morning), interrupting the deep sleep we so desperately needed.

To better equip you for your Bonnaroo experience, here are some tips:

– Be choosy about which events you attend

There are multiple stages & things going on all at once (music sets, comedy sets, yoga, & more!), so it can be a little overwhelming. Bonnaroo has an app where you can add the things you want to do to your schedule so you can better manage the fun activities you want to attend. I would suggest preparing this before you get to the festival.

– Take naps during sets you don’t have any investment in

I stayed up for bands I didn’t really care about & couldn’t make it for the big headliner sets past 10pm. If you’re on festival grounds for sets your friends want to see, but you’re not totally crazy about the set, bring a blanket, post up, lay down & close your eyes. You can still enjoy the music this way & maybe take a snooze to re-energize you for the rest of the day/night.

–Bring as many portable fans you can get your hands on

Yo – the humidity during the time of Bonnaroo is NO JOKE. When chilling at your campsite with no semi cool air blowing in your face, the sweat just pours out of you. If you do anything, INVEST IN ALL THE FANS. Bring as many portable fans as you can. YOU. WILL. NEED. THEM.

–Don’t over drink

Now I know it’s a good ole time to enjoy some beverages and go to a concert, but attending a festival is a whole other ball game. It is a FULL DAY of festivities & rest is hit or miss (hence the naps tip). Don’t go too crazy. Have a nice buzz going all day so you can survive.

–Bring a bathing suit & play in the iconic fountain as much as you can

Again, it gets hot hot hot. I didn’t utilize the fountain enough & I regret it for sure. It really cools ya down & can keep you cool for a little while when the sun is beaming down on ya.

–Be prepared to wait in a lone line to get onto the grounds

There are a TON of people who attend Bonnaroo, therefore the long line of cars you have to wait to get in to actually set up your campsite is no joke. Buuuut, if you go in prepared knowing you will be sitting in your car for a while, it may make it a little more bearable.

I’m sure there’s so much more I could tell you but these were the most important takeaways I took from my experience & stuff I would do differently the next time I get to go. Just don’t have high expectations, go in with a chill attitude & just enjoy the experience the best way you know how.

10 Tips to Get Over Your PCD

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For those of you like me, you experience post concert depression fairly often. I’m here to try to help you relieve that PCD. I’ve put together a list of things you can do to try to relieve that depression & clear your mind. Enjoy!

ONE: Plan your next concert

It’s always a good idea to get your mind off the last concert by making plans for your next one. Then you have something on the calendar to look forward to

TWO: Reminisce on the night with friends or others who attended the concert

Internet friends: UNITE! You can always just keep talking about the night with the friend(s) you attended the concert with. It can keep you smiling & remembering the best parts of the night. If you went alone, find some friends on social media who went to the concert. Always a good outlet to relive the night of your life.

THREE: Take a relaxing bubble bath && light some candles

I absolutely love taking baths. It’s so peaceful, especially to be away from your phone && have that time to yourself. Relaxes your mind.

FOUR: Get outside

Enjoy nature & some fresh air. Don’t take your phone. Again, it’s so peaceful to not constantly be checking your phone or waiting or expecting a call, text, email, tweet, etc. HOWEVER, if you want to bring it, I always go for a walk & listen to some podcasts. Some recommendations:

  • Serial
  • Guys we f*cked
  • My favorite murder
  • Scrubbing in with Becca Tilley
  • Off the Vine or Grape Therapy
  • STown
  • Almost Famous

–sorry, most of these are crime or Bachelor related, as that is what I enjoy–

FIVE: Go to the gym

Although I refuse to pay for a gym membership, when I do go to the gym, it feels good to work on yourself & get your mind off being depressed about the concert being over. Run on the treadmill (or walk, if that’s your style). Bench press. Lift weights. Ya know, the typical shit you do at the gym. WHATEVER FLOATS YA BOAT. Just get moving – it’ll help (I HOPE!)

SIX: Do some yoga

If yoga is your thing, such a more calming workout than the high intense stuff you would typically do at the gym. I, again, do not pay for a membership so I usually will find a yoga video on YouTube to follow along with.

SEVEN: Meditate

Just take 5 minutes to yourself with NO DISTRACTIONS. Completely clear your mind & just take deep breaths in & out. Can also calm you down if you’re having anxiety.

EIGHT: Go for a drive & BLAST your music

You know what always feels great, especially on a nice day, is putting on your favorite song or artist, rolling your windows down & going for a drive. I always love doing this because I secretly think I enjoy rocking out in my car & letting my neighbors on the road enjoy the show.

NINE: Hit up the spa

Get a massage, your nails did, OR WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT. It’s always nice to treat yo’ self.

TEN: Binge a show on Netflix

Nothing like starting a new & FABULOUS show on Netflix to distract your from your post concert blues. It will get you excited about something else. Recs below:

  • New Girl
  • The Good Place
  • Stranger Things
  • Orange is the New Black
  • Friends
  • How I Met Your Mother

I’ve also been told to watch The OA & 13 reasons why but haven’t gotten around to it. But suggesting anyways.

So there you have it, folks. Hopefully this will help relieve that PCD lyfe. Feel free to comment your own suggestions as well!

Tips for Finding Tickets to Sold Out Concerts

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The past couple weeks I’ve missed out on going to Kygo, Hayley Kiyoko, & Post Malone because the concert was sold out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any tickets cheap enough through my tips below to be able to go. HOWEVER, if I’m determined, I’d like to say I’m pretty good at finding tickets to sold out concerts. I’m going to give some helpful tips on how to try to track down a last minute ticket if the show is sold out WITHOUT having to splurge – most of the times being able to negotiate with the seller to pay less than face value. BOOM! You just saved yo’self some dolla bills, y’all.

My absolute FAVORITE place to search for tickets is Twitter. The great thing about Twitter is they have a search bar & you can literally search for any keyword or keywords to find tweets from people who would be selling a ticket or tickets to a show. For instance, if I were to try to search for tickets to Kygo, some things I would search are:

  • “Kygo ticket”
  • “Kygo tickets”
  • “Kygo tix”
  • “Kygo [concert venue]”
  • “Kygo [date the show is]”
  • “Kygo [city show is in]”

Also, if its the day of the show you could search “Kygo tonight.”

If you attempt this way, be sure to vet the seller first to make sure they have a ticket & are not trying to scam you. I would ask them to send you proof of the ticket & either meet them in person to get the ticket -OR- most ticket sites can let you transfer the ticket electronically. In the past when I have done this, I have also paid through Venmo to get the ticket transferred to me. I prefer a physical ticket so that you can meet them & make sure once you pay them you will get the ticket. Just make sure to be careful just so you don’t get scammed. HOWEVER, I trust this method way more than going & finding a scalper selling tickets.

I’m sure if you go to concerts often, you are aware of StubHub – it’s a website where people can resell their tickets to a specific show or event. It’s not just for concerts but that’s what I use it for. However, I will say that if there is a super high demand for tickets, StubHub would not be the place I would suggest. However, the great thing about utilizing this site is that they have a fan protected guarantee on tickets. This means that if you buy a ticket that is fake, StubHub guarantees to replace it with an actual ticket to ensure that you were not scammed out of your money & then still left without a ticket to the show (read more here). I’s genius & superb customer service. I found my ticket for Camila Cabello on there for $15 – it was quite magical. When looking for Post Malone tickets, though, people were reselling their tickets for around $150 (which is INSANE). I believe the base value was at least half of that. I unfortunately couldn’t afford that in this situation so had to miss out on the concert. It’s definitely hit or miss but sometimes if you wait until after doors open or the show begins, the ticket prices may drop so good to keep an eye out for that.

I’m not going to write too much about Craigslist – would give the same suggestions I would for StubHub to be careful & make sure to assess to legitimacy of someone selling a ticket. I will say that there are a lot of random resale ticket sites that post on craigslist & I never trust those. I would find an actual person selling tickets that you can meet in person to swap $$ & the ticket(s).

  • Artists Facebook page

Along the same lines of Twitter, I’ve sometimes found that if you go to the artist’s Facebook page & go look at the visitor posts, there may be some people trying to sell tickets.

This is probably one of the coolest things I’ve discovered recently. Lyte is a website that ONLY sells tickets for sold out shows. Fans who want to resell their ticket can do so on Lyte & fans wanting to go to the show can purchase the ticket (as if the ticket is already yours) and if tickets open up right before the show begins, they automatically get sent to your email & BAM – you are going to the show! This is super last minute so if you try this, you’ll have to be prepared as if you’re already going to the show. I did this for Dua Lipa in Nashville before I moved to Denver & got my ticket (I believe) around an hour or so before the doors opened. No guarantee & they don’t have every single concert but if you check out their site, there’s a possibility they will have the show you’re looking for.

  • Check the artists social media

Okay – I’ve noticed for some shows that if you pay attention to the artist’s social media, there are times they may give away tickets to a show (this includes the openers!). Make sure you pay attention to all social media for a chance to win tickets. Suggestion to turn on their notifications for Instagram & Twitter so you make sure not to miss a possible opportunity for a ticket or tickets!

  • Check local radio stations for last minute ticket giveaways

Same as for the artist suggestion above but for local radio stations. Just make sure you know what they are!

  • Ask the Artist

This is pretty straight forward but you can always try reaching out to the artist directly (tweeting or sliding into the DMs) or maybe finding out who their manager or management is & asking them for a ticket. This is definitely a LONG SHOT but it doesn’t hurt to just be bold & ask. You never know if they’ll see it & want to help you out.

That’s all for now, folks. BUT another tidbit is if you’re trying to negotiate your price with an individual seller, definitely start lower than the price point you actually are willing to pay so hopefully they will meet you in the middle.

**Please note, I am in no way responsible if you get scammed by trying one of these methods BUT, if you have any questions or want help, feel free to reach out**