Before I attended CounterPoint Music and Arts Festival last weekend, I planned to cover it with a typical news story about the performances.
But this is a story of a very personal and enlightening experience, and that won't do it justice.
A friend and I went together to CounterPoint, traveling from Cincinnati, Ohio to Rome, Georgia. He is 29 years old and has been to several music festivals throughout the last decade. I'm 35, and this was my first.
Camping without flushable toilets and packing in to a sweaty crowd at a concert scared me a little. Plus, I’ve never owned a flower headband.
But he promised me that by the end of the weekend, I’d get it.
He was right.
On Friday afternoon while waiting in the car camping line to get into the campgrounds, I didn’t realize the people in front of and behind us would become my friends over the next couple of days.
The CounterPoint staff packed us in tight. Car by car we pulled up to a fence that guarded a dusty red race track, got out and immediately began setting up the tent and canopy. It appeared everyone knew the drill.
We looked around the venue. Whoa — the concerts were through another car camping area and up a giant hill. It was about a 20-minute walk to get to the gate. (First-timers: Good shoes are essential. You will walk. And walk. And walk.)
During our initial trek to the concerts, it was obvious who were novice festival-goers. Their campsites were shaded well and decorated with individuality. Lots of tapestries and signs.
Once we got inside it was tough to take it all in at once. The land was vast and the concerts were on multiple stages throughout the venue. We checked out a few minutes of each show, but I couldn’t stop watching the people. Some wore masks made from plastic beads, flags as capes, funky hats, and a few women were topless.
No one judged. We were really free to just be.
It was in that first hour at the concerts I knew I was in a different world for the weekend. I looked at my friend, pleased he convinced me to try this out.
That night we went to bed sort of early. It was cold once it got dark and we were wiped out from the traveling. Rest up, my friend warned — we were in for a long day of excitement on Saturday.
Since the concerts didn’t get started until the late afternoon, we spent the morning walking the grounds, checking out what everyone else had set up. Some had connected tents across multiple sites to create mini-tent cities. One group set up a giant dome from which they hung multiple sleeping hammocks.
Another connected several canopies and created walls with large tapestries.
I even saw a two-story tent that used a truck as the base and required a ladder. The guy at that site never really left it; he was clearly there to just relax. I saw him reading pretty much the whole weekend.
A green VW van near the venue entrance had markers and a sign that invited people to autograph the vehicle’s tire cover. At one tent, a man was sitting behind his cooler and had a sign that read, “Bloody Marys, $5.”
The campsites kind of fascinated me. I definitely developed an appreciation for those who had flags on poles, which was helpful for locating them among the sea of tents and canopies.
Also in the camping area was a large space where CounterPoint hosted daily yoga and exercise activities. Near that space were spots for using grills provided by the festival and a place to charge electronics. (That was absolutely packed during the day — I was really glad we brought three days of power packs for our mobile phones.)
The earlier hours were reserved for getting to know people. The evenings were for the music.
And oh, the music.
On that day we started with MK Ultra — a woman named Leah Culver who had the Steeple Stage rocking and the crowd bouncing to her beats. She was a powerhouse performer, for sure.
The crowds moved from stage to stage checking out each show. Widespread Panic and Papadosio were the big draws on this night, with performances so loud those who stayed back in the camping area could enjoy them.
Photo Gallery: CounterPoint 2015
The festival featured large banner signs with the show schedules, and they were spread throughout both the concert area and campgrounds. We often checked them because there were so many options, and if show times changed the staff made sure to get the banners updated.
By late Saturday night I was beginning to see familiar faces I had met throughout the day. It was starting to feel more home-like.
On Sunday morning it had become home. We woke up our neighbors with the smell of bacon cooked on a compact gas grill, and we shared it with them. People had started moving their canvas chairs under each others’ canopies and expanding their campsites to attach to their neighbors.
It was these moments that solidified the awesomeness of CounterPoint for me. I had gotten to know these strangers, and they were mostly like me — people with serious jobs who were there to let loose for a weekend. On one side of us stayed a group that included a salesman, a guy who looks just like singer Ed Sheeran and never said a word, and two young ladies who paid to take showers and did their makeup each day, among several others.
On our other side were three people who had gone to college together — one is a software engineer and another a Montessori school teacher. I don’t know the occupation of the third member of their group, but his contagious energy really brought all the camp neighbors together.
Next to them was a large group of mostly teenagers who had just graduated high school. For a few this was their first music festival experience. Those of us who were older sort of treated them as little siblings, loaning our tools and giving information on concert schedules.
Sunday night’s concerts blew me away. The Roots were all over the stage with high energy and vibes keeping the crowd jumping.
Umphrey’s McGee gave an epic performance. Man, can they jam — fingers moving on guitars so fast I couldn’t believe it. And wow, Umph’s drummer went hard.
That night we celebrated at our campsite until the early morning hours. Many of our neighbors had packed in under our canopy and we laughed and listened to more music. It was a night for the books.
A silent sadness permeated throughout the campgrounds on Monday morning as everyone packed up to leave. Those who were up early honked and waved as they rolled out. We exchanged contact information with our neighbors, who we’ve friended on Facebook and plan to meet up with at future festivals.
Looking back, I can’t believe I thought about staying at a hotel instead of camping on the grounds. That was what made this festival life-changing for me. I really got to know people and experience connection.
In the “real world,” living where it’s cold a lot of the year, working every day and getting in very few vacations, I had somewhat forgotten what it was like to connect to new people because of something other than my career or community involvement. Being outside and the just-because encounters with random people were rewarding.
My friend said it best on the ride home as we were reflecting on the people we met: “There’s a lot out there, you know?”
Tips for music festival newbies
° Take lots of sunblock, good walking shoes, a hydration pack or bottled water, and do not, do not, do not forget wipes. We dealt with a lot of dust and used tons of wipes.
° If you've got one, take a portable speaker to connect to your phone for music, or take a stereo. It'll keep you a little more entertained while at your campsite.
° Use the portable toilets after you've heard the trucks empty them. Trust me on this one — your nose will thank you.
° Follow the festival on social media to get updates on concert schedules. I downloaded them and when others asked if I knew what was coming up I just let them look at my phone.
° Consider getting a flag or something bright to identify your campsite.
° Be OK with lots of sweat and minimal or no showering. I bought Paper Shower towelettes online and they were so worth it. Dry shampoo is another important item if you have a lot of hair. Also, take bug spray.
° If you plan to drink alcoholic beverages or eat inside the concert area, set a budget. We packed enough food that we were able to only eat at the campsite, but we did buy drinks inside and that was expensive.
° Don't forget flashlights for walking and a lantern to keep your campsite lit at night.
° Earplugs are good to have at the concerts and at the campsite to help you sleep. People are partying and walking past your campsite to get to the toilets at all hours, so you'll never really get peace.
° Unplug. Do what you can to just look around you and experience everything. Don't worry about what's going on outside of the festival. It goes fast and you'll be back to reality before you know it.
° If you can't tolerate smoke, don't go. There will be lots of smokers. It's a party and it goes with the territory.