External factors weighed heavily on the second annual Made In America Festival this past weekend in Philadelphia. Jay Z, whose name was absent from the bill, loomed over the festival grounds in the form of Budweiser ads peppered around every stage and whispers by festival-goers speculating if and when Mr. Carter would make a special guest appearance. Arcade Fires mysterious new marketing campaign saw their Reflektor logo pasted absolutely everywhere. And then, of course, there was the tragic news out of NYCs Electric Zoo, which cast a dark shadow over Sundays festivities. This article isnt the forum to debate the ethics and basic safety of an entire culture of music, but it was interesting to note that little of the weekends buzz was about any of the actual bands playing the festival.
In the media tent before the first acts on Saturday, journalists traded stories about how many major festivals theyd attended this summer with palpable exhaustion in their voices. This left the massively corporate (pass the Budweiser, please), Jay Z-sponsored gathering as something to be endured, rather than enjoyed – or experienced in the truest summer festival terms.
It should then go without saying that this years big font acts, which included Beyoncé, Nine Inch Nails, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Phoenix, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, among others, had their work cut out for them. Thankfully, the lineup was able to deliver on the high bar set by last years fest, which included a show-stopping guest spot from Kanye West and a summer-defining set from Pearl Jam. This year, the mix of old school (Public Enemy) and up-and-coming (ASAP Rocky, Miguel, Kendrick Lamar) hip-hop/R&B acts was offset by veteran alt-rock tent poles like Queens of the Stone Age and The Gaslight Anthem.
Throw in a few EDM A-listers, and it became easy to forget about back-to-school woes and the ever-shortening dog days. There really was something for everyone on this Labor Day weekend, proving once again that Hova knows how to throw one hell of a party. Here are 10 of our favorite moments.
–Bryant Kitching
Senior Staff Writer
