If you followed all the Summer Fest action on social media this year, chances are you caught some photos or video captured by social media intern Cate Ayson. Before concluding her internship earlier this week, she took some time to reflect on her first Summer Fest. Below, she recaps some of her highlights from the weekend.
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One of my favorite parts of Summer Fest was inviting my little brother along for the ride. Every time we were waiting for a performance, I would tell him everything I learned about an artist from reading their bios and writing about them. Occasionally, I would say, “You’re going to love them!” And I was right.
Saturday night, we were watching Sasha Masakowski at the Jade Leaf Stage and after the first song, he turned to me and whisper-screamed, “Oh my gosh, I love them!” His eyes were bright and he was smiling so wide. After their performance, he bought a CD. I asked if he wanted to meet her and get his CD signed. He was so nervous, it was like he had been listening to Sasha for years. Witnessing Sasha’s interaction with my brother was definitely a Fest highlight. She was so kind and fed off my brother’s compliments and praise.
I think what really attracted my brother to Sasha’s music was how different she was compared to other Summer Fest artists. The fact that she was so willing to spend the time with us definitely contributed to making the best Summer Fest experience for him as well.
Photo Credit: Cate Ayson
It was also amazing to see these artists live after writing about them for so long. You read almost everything you can about them and watch videos of their performances in order to provide the best content for readers. After a while you learn your favorites — mine were Sasha Masakowski, Daymé Arocena and The Seshen. Getting the chance to see them live in such intimate settings is indescribable. You hype yourself up over the months; when you see them, they turn out to be even better in person.
Looking back, one thing that made me upset was everyone I missed, especially Moonchild’s Jazz Beyond performance. There was no way I’d be awake and lively enough to enjoy it after a full day of Summer Fest! But I guess that’s part of the festival experience: choosing who to see and who you’re okay with missing.
Photo Credit: Cate Ayson
Summer Fest is definitely one of the best weekends I experienced this summer. Working behind the scenes and seeing the inner workings of how the festival came to be was an amazing thing to witness. Seeing how much time and energy goes into this festival really made me appreciate local music events. It’s unlike any music event I’ve been to. There’s so much diversity, which makes it a fantastic festival for everyone.
I think one of my favorite parts of the Fest was being surrounded by people who just genuinely enjoyed the music, whether they were up and dancing, dancing in their seat, singing along, or just sitting there with their eyes closed. People feel music differently, and it was incredible to see all of that in one event.
