Free Press Summer Festival

Pictured (from left) are friends Elisabeth Lyles and Taylor Phillips, who both graduated from Memorial High School, enjoying Free Press Summer Festival.

Editor’s note: “An Intern’s Insight” is a recurring blog by our summer interns. This unedited content is strictly the opinion of the writers, and not necessarily of The Buzz. We hope you enjoy their unique perspectives. In this blog post, summer intern Elisabeth Lyles reflects on her experience at Free Press Summer Festival, which took place May 31-June 1, 2014. 

When the temperature continues to rise into the 100′s, what else would you want to do besides stand around in the heat on Allen Parkway and Eleanor Tinsley Park? Coming back from my past year in the great city of New Orleans, a festival hub of its own, I knew that I needed to experience a festival in the city I love most, Houston.

I’d purchased tickets to Free Press Summer Festival way back when, planning to go with one friend from Tulane and my boyfriend, both who had attended the festival in years past, but I had no idea just what to expect. After attending Austin City Limits, Jazz Fest, Buku, Crawfest, let’s just say I’ve had my share of music festivals in open fields, but here, on the blocked off Allen Parkway, are the streets I’ve driven over countless times; the signs for “Downtown” and “45 North” remain visible along with the zooming traffic of I-10 above. Giant plastic wrap surround some of the highway’s supportive columns, creating a translucent space for graffiti and tagging. Tents and trucks stand on the grassed edges next to the streets, selling sno-cones, food and drink, and all of Houston’s favorite food truck necessities.

Along with the scrumptious food, which for the record ranges from tamales and tacos to falafel, gyros, and fried macaroni and cheese balls (that were absolutely the best!), the music, obviously, was magical. The stages are arranged to follow the placement of the planets, from Mercury all the way to Neptune, and the acts range from lesser-known indie bands like the Wild Moccasins to five of the most prominent Houston rappers that put Houston on the map for rap.

ne of my favorite performances was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros; it was so mesmerizing I even forgot to take pictures! They’ve visited Tulane but because of classes and tests, I couldn’t attend, but here, Alex Ebert, the lead singer that goes by the live persona of Edward Sharpe, was extremely engaging and exciting. Just at the beginning of the set, he jumped down from Mars stage and ran through the crowd, getting slightly accosted but riling up the crowd beyond belief. After he returned to the stage and performed a few songs, he lowered his microphone to a few people, asking for a story they’d like to tell. Some got a little stage-fright and yelled, “Um, let’s just give it up for Edward Sharpe!” while others exclaimed their love for the band and how they’d helped them through their hardest times.

The last moment that really stuck with me was when Sharpe said that he had time for one more song, but he wanted to know which we wanted. “Home!” was screamed from practically every direction to which he replied, “Jade [the female lead] isn’t here so everyone’s going to have to sing this with me,” and the crowd roared. This psychedelic and heart-warming performance gave me constant chills and felt like how real performances should.

Overall, this entire experience was one for the books, even with the rain and anticipated–though unfulfilled–thunderstorms. It’s a time to come together, see old friends (particularly ones you didn’t expect to see), and love this beautiful city we call home.

Were you at Free Press Summer Fest ’14? Let us know what your experience was like.