80/35 Day Two

Heading into day two of 80/35, I was mainly interested in seeing the Decemberist's play on the main stage. I was vaguely aware of them because one of their songs was featured on Mad Men, like, a hundred years ago. 

When it comes to hearing bands play live, I've found folk bands always sound the best. Out of everyone I heard at the festival, the Decemberist's were by far my favorite. I think their vibe fit the festival's quirky really well (they're based out of Portland. So yeah....) 

Maybe my favorite memory from the weekend was when a bunch of fireflies suddenly appeared as the band started playing their set. It was quite magical. 

As I said in my last post, I hung out with my friend, Liz Brown, for most of the weekend. She takes insanely good portraits of people. I have no idea how she does it, but I think it's partially due to the fact that Liz is good at making people feel comfortable.

That's really half the battle when it comes to photography, at least in my experience. People always want to put on a show for a photographer, but those pictures never showcase the real person. Liz's pictures somehow capture people's innate beauty and charm. 

After listening to the Decemberist's play for a bit, I decided to get some food before heading out. Most of the food trucks were still open, so I stopped at Gusto and grabbed a slice of pizza.

I decided to sit and eat my pizza by that big picnic table near Starbucks. As I ate, the music played far behind me and people were walking up and down the street in front of me. Although I was sitting alone, I didn't really feel alone.

Between the people, the music, and those fireflies fluttering around the stage, it all felt pretty special. It was one of those weird experiences where all of the activity around me made it feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself. Maybe that's why people like musical festivals? I know that I'm already looking forward to the next one. Until next time, Des Moines.