Summer is right around the corner, and with COVID seemingly in the rearview mirror for many Americans, festival season is back and quickly approaching! If you've ever been to a music festival before, you've probably seen some interesting people. I've been to a couple of festivals, and I've seen some crazy fans in the audience. It's all part of the experience!
With the festivals that I've been to in mind, I've compiled together a list of ten people that you'll see at (just about) every music festival. Buckle up for the ride as we all return to live music!
This guy is almost always right near the front of the stage. No matter what song it is, this dude is dancing like nobody's watching. This guy is committed to his job, and he'll even be dancing to slow worship songs. And when the headliner comes out, some fans will probably join the dance party too. If you've ever been to a music festival before, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's something you really can't unsee. But hey, why not join him?! (Bonus points if he brought glow sticks!)
The Tired Dad Honestly, we all feel pretty bad for "the tired dad." His wife and kids dragged him to the festival right after he got off of work, he's exhausted, and he doesn't want to see a bunch of rock bands. He's already getting a headache. So he sits there, with his arms crossed, and Best Replica Watches his kids geek out over a band that he's not interested in. It's going to be a long night.
That Screaming Teenager Behind You
This is perhaps the most annoying person on the list. You and your family find your seats, and you end up sitting right in front of a teenager who won't stop screaming because her favorite band just sang one of their songs. You can barely even hear the music because she's screaming so loud. (I highly suggest sitting far from this screaming teenager, or else you'll be partially deaf at the end of the concert.)
The creepy stalker is typically a female, and she's doing everything she can to get a personal meet-and-greet with one of the bands. During intermission, she runs to the merch tables to see if they're hanging out over there. If not, she begins looking for an entrance backstage. If all else fails, she waits for them near their tour bus. She's desperate, and may even get escorted by security. I guess she just really wants her CD autographed.
The Superfan
The superfan is similar to the creepy stalker but slightly less creepy. You can normally spot one of these super fans near the dancing guy at the front of the stage. They'll enthusiastically be jumping up and down, and screaming at the top of their lungs. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you probably are one of them. There's no shame in that! Just make sure you give the artists some personal space, okay?
Karen
Karen can typically be found talking to her church friends during the intermission near the bathroom. As she's walking out, you can hear her saying something like, "Did you hear that song the last band performed? I didn't like it." Or, "I wonder if someone can fix the sound. I feel like I'm at a screamo concert." Although Karen can be pretty annoying, she's just voicing her opinion. Let's just hope she doesn't want to talk to anyone's manager.
This person is probably closely related to the screaming teenager. As soon as the song finishes and the lights go off, suddenly an insanely loud, deafening scream will pierce through the air. Especially if it's the last song. This person will scream as loud as they possibly can, and will probably yell "ENCORE" in such a way that they'll have a sore throat the next day. Wait, what's that? The band is walking back out on stage for an encore, and the crowd goes wild. By now your ears are ringing. And just when you think it can't get any noisier, the screamer yells and screams even louder.
Air Guitar Dude
This guy is really into the concert. He's headbanging, singing along, and simultaneously playing an air guitar. Although rare, he occasionally brings some air drums too. We might do this too at home, but he's not ashamed to be seen publicly playing imaginary instruments. He secretly wants to be part of the band, but for now, he'll stand close by the stage playing his air guitar, hoping that someone will notice him and invite him to play on stage.
Sometimes during a concert, the band will have people in the crowd turn their iPhone flashlights on. People will wave their phones in the air in tune with the song, and it's cool to see. But there's a certain group of people that we're calling "the cell phone dance team." Even when no one is on stage, there will be a cluster of people doing some kind of choreographed dance with their flashlights on. Occasionally someone will actually be leading these people and directing them on what to do. It's quite a sight.
The merchies are a great group of people. They're the people who are running the merchandise tables for the artists, and they're genuinely happy to be there. Why are they so happy? Chances are, the festival sold out or tickets were expensive. So they volunteered, and they're super excited to be working for their favorite band for the night. They'll gladly help you spend $300 in merch, and they might even say "my pleasure" after. They're awesome.
Grace Chaves has been a fan of all things Christian music since 2016. She is NRT's news editor, and one of NRT's youngest writers. Homeschooled, Grace is an author, loves Jesus, concerts, and road trips.
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