Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT was packed with music fans of all ages from September 28 through 29. Soundside Music Festival, formerly known as Sound on Sound, was headlined by Noah Kahan, Greta Van Fleet, and Jack White. I attended the festival with fellow genre manager, Michaela, and we had a great time. It was an incredible first festival experience, with quick-moving security, great music, and beautiful grounds. Anything you needed could be found lining the festival grounds including, food, drinks, hydration stations, and bathrooms. The dining areas were set up under tents with a great view of the stage screens, surrounded by flowers.
The morning started out perfectly; the weather was nice, we had a decent parking spot, and got through security quickly.
Rijah, a Berklee College student, kicked off Saturday’s lineup. Rijah had a beautiful and relaxing voice, a perfect start to a long day of music. As I made my way into the hour-long line for merch, I was close enough to the stage to hear Lisa Loeb’s set clearly. The other festival goers were loving it. I didn’t know much of her music, but I definitely understand why everyone was so excited. Grammy nominated singer, Grace Potter, also performed Saturday afternoon, and her set was well loved by the crowd. My favorite part was when she sang “Something That I Want” from the credits of the movie “Tangled.” I’m a huge Disney fan, so hearing an artist that sang on a Disney soundtrack was really exciting for me.
With my media pass, I was lucky enough to have access to both the general admission and GA+ areas. The GA+ spaces had a lounge, nicer bathrooms, more food options, and most importantly, closer stage access. One of my favorite performances of the day was Boyz ll Men. I had been excited for this set for weeks, so for the first time of the weekend, I went to the GA+ viewing section and found a spot to stand with a great view of the stage. The band expressed concern about how many people would know it’s music since it doesn’t normally play festivals. Despite many younger attendees not knowing the songs, there were a bunch of fans that grew up with Boyz ll Men who screamed every lyric with me. I was having the time of my life watching each member perform and talk to the audience. I thought Boyz II Men put on one of the best performances of Saturday, second to Noah Kahan. Kicking off the set with “Motownphilly” got the crowd hyped. The band passed out red roses to lucky VIP fans while singing one of its most popular songs, “I’ll Make Love to You.” The band covered songs by various artists like Prince and Whitney Houston before ending the set with “End of The Road.”
Before Noah Kahan’s set, I needed a bit of a break. I went and sat in the GA+ lounge, where I unfortunately couldn’t hear much. The rain and the low-to-the-ground speakers made it hard to hear in both the GA and GA+ areas when not close to the stage on day one. It was rainy and cold so people were packed under the tent talking. However, when the Goo Goo Dolls ended it’s set with “Iris,” I could hear the crowd loud and clear. The energy was electric, the crowd was louder than the band, and I learned “Iris” is meant to be heard in the rain.
Despite the rain, Noah Kahan put on a fantastic show, cracking jokes, and playing his most popular songs. Hearing thousands of people scream “I’m mean because I grew up in New England” was nothing short of a magical experience. The crowd was so engaged and everyone was recording and singing along with their friends. Kahan apologized to Connecticut residents for a previous comment claiming that the state wasn’t truly a part of New England, and he stated the Connecticut “is in fact part of New England” before beginning his set. I went into the GA+ area about twenty minutes before his set was scheduled to start and I was only a row behind the barricade. I thought I was going to lose my voice screaming along to every song. During the second half of “Stick Season” many people started to leave to brave through Kahan’s predicted three hours of traffic, and I got to stand at the barricade. His traffic predictions were unfortunately accurate, but Michaela and I kept the energy up in the car.
Sunday was less rainy, and because the speakers stayed raised from the night before, it was much easier to hear. Michaela and I were both incredibly impressed by The War And Treaty, an adorable couple with beautifully captivating voices. 45 minutes of country and soul music brought relaxation to the first half of the day.
I ventured to the GA+ viewing area for two sets on Sunday, Teddy Swims and the Bleachers. Teddy Swims put on a great show. He made some jokes and was really engaged with the crowd, making sure everyone looked out for each other. He sang a lot of his popular songs like “Apple Juice” and “Some Things I’ll Never Know.” The space closer to the stage was packed for his set with fans singing along to every word. His energy got the crowd excited before what was possibly the best performance of the night. Bleachers took to the stage Sunday night and the crowd was pumped. They brought a new energy to the weekend and I heard many people admiring the performance throughout the night. Jack Antonoff, a songwriter and producer known for working with artists such as Taylor Swift and Lana Del Ray, created the band. He hyped up the crowd, running around the stage, encouraging people to scream, and jumping off of speakers. The band also has two saxophone players, and I fell in love with the sound. The saxophones just added to the already incredible vibe and sound produced by the band. They definitely made a lot of new fans after that performance.
Greta Van Fleet was the first headliner of the night. The band was one of the replacements for the original night two headliner, The Foo Fighters. While some attendees were disappointed, Greta Van Fleet definitely put on a performance that made up for the last minute drop out. The band had high energy and interacted with the audience, throwing flowers, and running into the crowd. Members hugged and high-fived fans along the barricade, Josh Kiszka even touched Michaela’s hand. Jack White ended Sunday’s lineup with an hour of alternative indie rock that kept the crowd’s energy high through the end of the night.
Soundside was an incredible experience with so many amazing artists. I enjoyed learning about artists I hadn’t previously heard of and adding them to my playlists. I loved being able to see the artists I did know, up close and witness some of the best performances I’ve ever seen live.
