iradiophilly | Culture - Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware: Day Two Saturday 6/22/2013

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Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware: Day Two Saturday 6/22/2013

by: SteveKane - Broomall, PA
started: 08/14/13 1:51 pm | updated: 08/14/13 1:51 pm

The morning of the second day at Firefly awakened the collective festival experience and aura with thousands of campers awaiting what was next in store for the eventful weekend. With the entrance day completed the excitement and openness was in full swing at Firefly Music Festival. It was an entirely new day, with more musical acts to look forward to and terrain to explore. The sun arose and many did the campers, ready for another entertainment packed day.
Running water was a high commodity at Firefly Music Festival, with fountains spread sparingly throughout the camping grounds. There were showers, though with a rather steep entrance fee. Again, all a part of the rather back-to-basics simple aesthetic of a camp ground. People lined up as early as 9:00AM to gain admittance to the festival. There was a stir in the air with anticipation for the day to begin throughout the crowd. It was a bright, hot and sunny day. Nearly perfect conditions in Dover, Delaware for Saturday morning. Check out the gallery of day two here.

At nearly 12PM the gates were open and people were admitted into the festival. The first band to play on Saturday was Kopecky Family Band, opening Firefly Music Festival on 'The Lawn' stage. The Lawn is the first stage from the entrance, a very wide and open area permitting a huge visual experience. The landscape within the festival is impressively green, with natural woodlands almost seeking to be admired. A hammock lounge built between walkways in the woods provide a secluded retreat for those looking for a place to relax. Most notable is the dÃ©cor for a wooded passageway with lit-up umbrellas hanging from trees with cool water mist sprays, allowing a great relief from the heat.

Japandroids opened the Main Stage at Firefly on Saturday, to a loyal crowd. The Canadian rock duo sonically filled the stage with a highly energetic performance. Next LAâ€™s Blondfire opened 'The Porch' stage with a phenomenal set. Blondfire consists of brother â€“ sister duo Bruce and Erica Driscoll. Fans were reciting words from many songs, providing a riveting experience. Next on the Main Stage was Jim James, sporting a suit and tie. Playing many songs off his solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God, a real following began to pursue making a much larger crowd. After a number of songs Jim James presented his iconic Flying V guitar, wailing away with emotion and precision. Also playing the saxophone on a number of songs, Jim James proved to be quite the versatile performer with incredibly written songs.

Next up on the Main Stage were the Alabama Shakes, providing soulful celebrations straight from Athens, Alabama. Lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard provided a heartfelt performance with powerful skill. Playing a true version of 'Hold On' the crowd sung along in harmony and assurance. Affirming their praise and acclaim, Alabama Shakes rocked with confidence. Next up were Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, filling 'The Lawn' stage entirely with a band lineup of nearly 11 people. High energy and crowd participation were unique to The Magnetic Zeroâ€™s set, it was known there were plenty of fans eager for the performance. Playing well known favorites such as "Home," The Magnetic Zeros did not disappoint with harmony and swiftness from start to finish.

It was then the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' turn to take the Main Stage, and many eager fans awaited their arrival. With a new album Mosquito just recently released the band has reached a pinnacle point in their career, showing signs of growth and unity. Lead singer Karen O stormed the stage exclaiming, "Firefly!" and the audience responded with delight. Starting right into their first single from the new album, "Sacrilege" the Yeah Yeah Yeahs showed the audience they were in for an exciting and energetic performance. Guitarist Nick Zinner created a complete wall of sound with impressive and sought after playing. Many favorites were incorporated into the set including "Gold Lion" and "Heads Will Roll." Karen O then made a direct dedication of a faithful rendition of "Maps" to "All you summer lovers at Firefly Music Festival!" The entire crowd sung in unison to the songs chorus, sending a roar to the stage. Giant inflatable eyeballs were blasted into the audience and being bounced around like beach balls. The setting sun made for a unique performance, with radiance from the stage shining bright and powerful. Karen O gave it her all and it was an incredibly top notch set.

The Lawn then featured the unique electronic pop outfit, MGMT. With a very unique light show the band's psychedelic sound was matched with outlandish visuals, such as thermal-vision projected on the stage screens. Going throughout the band's catalog, MGMT proved they can continue to groove one song after another. Playing favorites such as "Electric Feel" and "Weekend Wars" their set was met with much praise. Playing a phenomenal version of "Time To Pretend," MGMT casted the spirit for the evening, or possibly the entire festival. The song resonated throughout the entire landscape, making for a distinct oneness between band and audience. Never losing their intensity, MGMT sounded great and had a distinctive multi-media experience.

Closing the Main Stage on Saturday, June 22nd was Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. There was a whirl of anticipation for the band to appear and with good reason, these guys are legends. Going through an entire career full of songs, the set was hit after hit. Playing renown songs such as "I Won't Back Down" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance," Tom Petty displayed his knack for pop rock sensibility in an intelligent and natural way. "I'd like to dedicate the next song for all those cheating on their boyfriends or girlfriends this weekend," said Tom Petty before breaking into a stellar version of "Free Fallin'." The house lights were shown on the audience and made notice of the thousands in attendance. Then playing a Traveling Willburys song, "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" Tom Petty showed his skill to tell a story within an upbeat and catchy song. Continuing with a fantastic rendition of "Learning To Fly" the people in attendance were singing along and enjoying an energetic rock show. The last song Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played was "American Girl," very fitting for the East Coast festival. A late night performance by Big Gigantic closed The Backyard stage, with electronic beats and intense visuals.

All in all, the second day of Firefly Music Festival went impressively smooth, with little to no major difficulties. Saturday proved to be one of the most eventful days at Firefly, with a great artist lineup. One of the attributes to the festival is its versatile ability to attract an influential collaboration of styles, genres and sounds. The amount of positivity on Saturday was amazing, allowing a great feel between festival campers and goers and the artists. Saturday alone shows the stability Firefly Music Festival truly has earned and possesses. Looking forward to another day of musical adventure, the campers returned to their grounds and awaited the next sun rise with a whole new day to experience. Check out the photo gallery of Day Two here.