Colleen Viana reflects on the culture of music + names 5 Outside Lands acts that are all about the bass
It’s the beginning of August, we’re nearing the end of summer, and I’m itching to dance.
Let me preface this with a little story about the time I started tearing up on a treadmill while listening to Tiesto’s “Footprints” mid-run (or I guess “mid-jog,” who am I fooling?), and no, I’m not making this up (trust me, I almost wish I was). It was shortly after he released A Town Called Paradise, and I was fresh off seeing him at Electric Daisy Carnival, New York. While listening to the lyrics, something resonated with me.
“We are the old, and we are the young, a million strangers, we move as one.
Won’t wait a lifetime, it’s our turn to put our footprints all over the world.”
I heard the song before, but never really listened. Listening to this beautiful bridge, I had a moment of realization: This is the real culture of festivals,joining people from every inch of the world who share the same love for music that you do. It’s an insanely powerful feeling—knowing that in a sea of sweaty, dancing bodies everyone is connected. We’re all listening, we’re all feeling, we’re all experiencing the moment. And each person is crafting it differently for themselves, making each part of the song unique to them.
For me, it was those lyrics that hit a heartstring, and I lost it. Music is such an incredible force that propels us to move, think, and feel free unlike anything else. It’s always during this time of year that I get extremely excited for music, because Outside Lands is just around the corner. It’s one of the few festivals that doesn’t exist as a “see and be seen” atmosphere, which so many have sadly become.
After reading Catherine’s post on burning out and her first Coachella experience, I couldn’t help but connect the dots on how music may have played a role in freeing her soul. (It’s not an idea too far-fetched seeing as she is absolutely obsessed with Sara Bareilles.) There’s no question music has the capacity to move us both physically and spiritually, and it happened for me at the same time on the treadmill. Luckily, it was an off-peak hour so no one within my peripheral view saw, but there was a legit tear forming as I listened to “Footprints.” It got me even more excited for us to attend Outside Lands together with our Bay Area family and friends. I couldn’t wait to dance again, not in the desert, but in the forest (which is equally as fun).
So that said, it’s time to grab your girlfriends and your dancing shoes, then head to these acts for the best tunes to shake your hips to (because twerking in Golden Gate Park is most likely prohibited).
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