The second annual Sound on Sound music festival took place this past weekend on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 1—and I had tickets! I had no idea this event took place last year, but I’m so thankful I heard about it this time. I saw so many talented musicians, ate delicious food and danced side-by-side with a herd of strangers on what turned out to be a sunny, breezy, beautiful day.
While I couldn’t attend the Saturday concert, their line-up was definitely something I would’ve enjoyed as they featured performers such as Lord Huron and Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, I was incredibly excited to go on Sunday and watch Mt. Joy, Hozier, Alanis Morissette and John Mayer. Other bands earlier in the day included Snacktime, Calder Allen, Gin Blossoms, Cautious Clay and Margo Price.
My friends and I ended up leaving my apartment at 3 p.m., and we took our first steps onto the field about an hour later as the drive, walk and check-in took a bit longer than expected.
With the constant rain in the past week, the ground was caked with wet mud but we were able to find a clearing to lay our blankets down on and enjoy Mt. Joy and other performers I hadn’t heard of prior to the day: Dispatch and Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. I was pleasantly surprised by both, especially Dispatch.
Before Hoizer came on, we knew we wanted to stand and get closer to the stage so we decided to take our blankets and seek out a meal. Vendors included Freskos, Liberty Rock Tavern, The Tasty Yolk, Garelick & Herbs, LemoNate’s, Micalizzi’s, Little Pub and more. I ultimately decided to refresh my freshman memories by indulging in an OG Chicken Sandwich from Liberty Rock, and while the line lasted quite a while I was not disappointed following my first bite.
Finally, as the sun was setting, Hoizer made his entrance onto the stage—I was in awe! I’ve always wanted to watch him live and felt so lucky to see him, among other talented artists, for only $100. As expected, his performance was nothing short of perfect. His voice had such a clear tone and emotion, he joked around with the audience and he played my two favorite songs “Would That I” and “Work Song” (I wish he sang “Like Real People Do” though!). Of course, he ended with “Take Me To Church,” which was also stunning to experience in person.
Not too long after Alanis Morissette ran out in a tie-dye tee and gave the crowd a performance of her hit songs “You Oughta Know,” “Hand In My Pocket” and more. I’m not the biggest fan of Morissette, but I will say I had fun watching her have fun. She was jumping, spinning, laughing and screaming along to her songs which made them all the more enjoyable. She ended with her song “Thank U” while displaying tweets reading what her fans were thankful for on the back screen—I really liked this and felt like it sent a nice message to festival-goers.
Before we knew it, it was 9:30 p.m. and John Mayer was in front of everyone by himself with only a guitar! Apparently, he is on a “solo tour” which means he has no band with him and he plays all of his songs acoustically. While I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to hear his hits “Gravity,” “Waiting on The World To Change” and “New Light” because of the need for backup instruments, I absolutely adored and admired him for performing by himself—how intimidating that must be!
His voice was just as smooth and clear as he sounds on the radio and I loved the way he felt so comfortable on stage. Mayer kept bringing up the fact that he was born just a few miles away from the festival and shared childhood memories with the audience in between playing “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” and “Your Body Is A Wonderland”. It was all-around magical and I have been playing John Mayer’s songs on repeat since!
Sound on Sound was undoubtedly one of the best concerts I’ve been to. The area was stunning, the vendors were diverse and the line-up was fabulous. I’ve already set a reminder to be on the lookout for tickets when next year rolls around and I definitely think you should too!
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