Festival Review: Meadows Fest Day 2!

Metric

I think I am in love, and her name is Emily Haines. She is such a BOSS in every way. As I passed by her stage and heard her sing my fave song Black Sheep, I nearly flew on stage from giddiness. I sincerely believe I either astrally projected or elevated my being to her lol! Her feminine power is so admirable that it makes me want to get a wallet picture of her as a reminder of how to be A WOMAN! Not a little girl! #femininemystique

Borns

Borns was one of the premier acts when you put both festival days together. He is has an “old-school” rocker vibe with a casual, Millennial approachability. He manages to make you feel like he is a star that you can stand beside in light. Of course he did his hits from his wonderful debut album, Dopamine, but it was his solid cover of Bennie and The Jets that had me impressed. Of all the Elton John classics that are hard to reinvent, I would say this one is pretty up there, but Borns rocked it. 

Chance The Rapper

Chance The Rapper was exceptional at Meadows Fest. His fantastical incorporation of puppets, his gospel elements, particularly during his performance of Blessings, and his shear excitement at being at Meadows Fest was riveting. I cannot really describe his greatness, at that moment, beyond the word…. greatness. 

Kanye West

I am “rollercoaster Kanye Fan” because I love that he has some brilliant, untouchable tracks, but he also has some horrendous, cruel tweets to follow. I felt really bad for what happened to his wife because I cannot imagine the fear and need of spiritual balance she is carrying after having her life threatened. Truthfully, the craziness of Kanye’s concert was not in its ending as much as its beginning. 

People were waiting for hours for Kanye, and passing out left and right, to which water bottles were being passed that sparked both camaraderie and gingivitis between people lol! Twenty persons to one water bottle is not exactly an organized resolution to crowd dehydration, nor getting on the mic and telling people to stop shoving each other a security move. Moreover, I felt Kanye’s forty minute lateness to perform in a festival he owns was wrong. I only mention it because had he started on time, his fans would not have been so agitated with his family emergency. 

Do not get me wrong, he had every reason to leave early. The problem is by the time he came on, combined with The Weeknd’s cancellation, the festival was feeling toss-able by artists, as if the famed names were only their to attract money rather than music lovers. It was disappointing in the minds of fans that had sacrificed meals, paychecks, and whatever else they could find to have this experience. Thus, there was already an overarching sentiment of a lack of care for fans, that had nothing to do with his rightful early leave, but was doubled by with his lateness. 

In the end, we got a 25 minute set that proved Kanye knows how to feel his music like a bonafide veteran. He guides the crowd to receive his music as he desires, which is star- power. Yet, lateness by artists bothers me because it is a sign of indifference to fans. For me, fans are the heartbeat of music because the heart of this spiritual art-form is love. Thus, I always desire for their time and rights to be respected.  

For all Meadows Fest ups and downs, it was a great time. I was with a fabulous person, and interacted with some really great people. I just hope next year it steps up its game. Music Festivals are amazing events by default, i.e. human beings uniting over love and music, but they are phenomenal through work. Meadows might need some work, but it is pretty close to a phenom.