My problem with music festivals

Last night, I went to the first evening of the Outside Lands music festival (along with what appeared to be nearly 90% of the entire city). It was novel - a major festival that I could walk to from our house! Outdoor festivals hold a lot of allure: lots of bands I want to see, all in one place, outside in the park. 

Don't get me wrong, the music was great. Manu Chao was enthusiastic, eclectic and fun. Radiohead was (of course) the sonic wall of sound we all hoped for. They played a good mix of old and new and had a really cool stage setup. There were a couple times when the sound completely cut out for 10-20 sections (which was really weird - like hitting a giant "mute" button), but I guess that can be forgiven since it's the first-ever festival of it's kind.

No, outdoor festivals, it's not you, it's me. Call me spoiled, but I just find trying to see music with tens of thousands of other people to be a bit tiring. We tried to go see Beck, who was playing on a side stage, but the mammoth bottleneck of humanity prevented us from getting over there in time. 

And then there's the issue of the bathroom (port-a-potty, to be exact). I am not squeamish at all about actually using them. The problem is how far away they are from the music and how long the lines are. For example, we had a really good spot for Radiohead and were enjoying the show, when, sure enough, my walnut-sized bladder came calling. I had to leave my group (never did find them again), blaze a trail to the bathroom, and wait desperately in line. Sigh.

Everyone complains about the expensive booze, but I didn't mind that so much. My $7 (very full) plastic glass of wine did me just fine. No, it's more about the crowds and my very own problem with the loo. 

It is damn good people watching, though.