Firefly Music Festival continues to be one of the biggest and best showcases of live music in its 10th year of operation, but it does so without becoming stigmatized in the way other music festivals of its tenure have. For as much as we know what we’re getting into with Bonnaroo, Coachella, or even Rolling Loud, Firefly manages to suspend belief and preconceived notions year after year.
I’m sure a good bit of that has to do with location. After all, Dover, Delaware doesn’t have quite the same mass appeal as some other festival destinations. Adding to that is the festival’s decision to host their event in September for a second year in a row. The heat that usually comes with a summer music festival can get unbearable. Somehow, the cooler temps offered by early fall in DE just seems to work.
But don’t mistake cooler temps for a low-key event – Firefly was anything but chill with such a killer lineup for 2022. You knew that instantly when the usually slower Thursday night festivities capped off with Halsey giving all the energy of a headliner trying to close down the weekend before it had even started.
And that kind of just set the standard for where things could go.
Friday, September 23rd
Friday had just as much crowd energy for killer sets from All Time Low and Avril Lavigne. She was celebrating her 20-year anniversary of her debut album (though by looks alone, she hasn’t aged a day since her debut album came out). As the night progressed, Friday brought us a solid discography from the always-great Weezer too.
As if things could get any more nostalgic than they already felt, seeing My Chemical Romance take the stage after so many years apart could bring a tear to any former emo kid’s eye. These are musicians who you can see have grown fonder of their work together. They’re proud of what they’ve created for their fans. It was an all-out love fest between the band and their audience; every word screamed back by thousands of voices in unison.
Saturday, September 24th
On Saturday, we got a bit of a reprieve from the heavier sets with indie-soaked pop flavors from Bleachers and HAIM. Jack Antonoff is truly a musical genius that I could listen to for days and I feel as though the girls of HAIM may be the greatest “family” band in modern music (not just because of a lack of competition – they play off of each other so naturally in a live setting.
Wrapping up Saturday night was Green Day – a band that I HAVE NOT given enough credit to in recent years. Let me confirm it now: these guys absolutely still know how to rock and they proved it by ripping through old stuff, new stuff, and everything in between without so much as a pause.
Sunday, September 25th
As we went into the final day of the weekend, Sunday started off feeling questionable at best. The weather forecast wasn’t on our side and as an outdoor event, even the slightest hint of severe weather can throw off the schedule significantly.
And that’s exactly what ended up happening. A forced evacuation impacted some earlier sets as weather conditions deteriorated and we wondered if Sunday’s headliners would end up cancelling. Fortunately, the storm cleared and we were able to re-enter just a few nervous hours later, welcomed in by alt-rock royalty, Manchester Orchestra.
Right up until Sunday night, Firefly really felt like more of a rock show than anything else. Sure there were some electronic and pop artists scattered throughout, but the energy of the weekend was very rock n roll through and through.
But let me tell you – Sunday night, leaned fully into the pop/disco realm with sets from The Kid Laroi, Charli XCX & the queen of the night, Dua Lipa. The lights, the sound… it was all so much, but the perfect way to put some polish on the events of the weekend and make the experience feel “complete”.
Dua Lipa owned the night, churning through track after track from Future Nostalgia and dipping into a bit of her back catalog to remind us of exactly how many bangers she’s put out. The pandemic was a disservice to us all, because these songs are 100% best enjoyed live.
On the way home from Firefly Music Fest, it was hard to truly quantify how much I missed this, and it’s likely because I struggled to put into words exactly what this is. Firefly is a music fest unlike any other, but it’s also got the shared traits of community and togetherness that makes all shows feel so positive. It’s different, but in many ways, it’s the same.
Whatever it is, it’s magical in its own right, and it’s just so damn refreshing to be back in the fold of it all again. My energy is drained, but my spirit is full. See you at the next one!