GALLERY + REVIEW: Sad Summer Fest - Worcester, MA (8/3/24)
Sad Summer Festival
The Palladium Outdoors - Worcester, MA - August 3th, 2024
Photos by Cam Cavagnaro (@camcavagnaro)
The highly anticipated pop punk & emo summer festival, Sad Summer, took their show on the road for the 5th year in a row. We had the opportunity to experience the full day of rock music & pop-ups on their stop in Worcester at the Palladium outdoors. Although, the sun was relentless, there were several water stations were fully equipped & plenty of security on standby for any assistance, even sometimes using a hose as a sprinkler to refresh the crowd.
This year’s lineup was stacked with must-see acts, so arriving early enough to see everyone was essential. UK outfit, Hot Milk, took stage at peak-heat of the day & still gave an unforgettable performance to a fully engaged, sweaty crowd. Sad Summer has also become known for their fun pink & black aesthetic and charming mascots including the sad teddy bear, skeletons & aliens. During We The Kings’ set, they cued a bunch of inflatable pink aliens to be tossed into the crowd during their performance of “Alien.” Sets from Real Friends & Knuckle Puck also packed a punch despite the summer heat; incessant crowd-surfing of sweaty bodies was inevitable. The Wonder Years were notably another band to make sure the crowd hadn’t lost their energy quite yet, even pointing out a young child on a parent’s shoulders, “little man on the shoulders— you can sing along to this one, you won't get in trouble,” the frontman Dan "Soupy" Campbell said before introducing their track “GODDAMNITALL.”
The party was far from over as there were still the headliners to enjoy; even more now that the sun was setting & spurts of rain had passed. Arizona group, The Maine, were masters at crowd engagement amidst each fan favorite song performed. During the 2008 track, “Girls Do What They Want,” where they invite a member of the audience on stage to chant the lyrics with them, as routine for most shows. The frontman randomly selected two guys from the crowd up on stage to join them with this performance, where both of them fumbled a bit, not really knowing the song but still giving it their best efforts. The Maine’s rose-clad stage decor was soon transitioned into a set of tremendous acrylic sunflowers for the final set of the night, Mayday Parade. Their set’s energy was contagious, having the crowd subconsciously mimicking the singer’s barefoot joyful jumping. As they closed out their set with a nostalgic staple, “Jamie All Over,” the sea of damp, exhausted show-goers remained hooting & hollering for more. Sad Summer seemed to ignite a fire within these pop punk fans— the insatiable need for live music no matter the condition. We will make sure to start recharging for next year’s festivities now so we can match that euphoric energy. Sad Summer Fest is nearing its tour’s end this week, but stay up-to-date with more information here.
