This year’s Labor Day Weekend culminated the bittersweet ending of what seemed like a very short summer with the second annual Budweiser Made in America Festival. With Jay-Z curating the festival’s experience, everything was well thought out. From the food to the massive swing set and of course the lineup, this year was full of bigger and better things. There were approximately 60,000 attendees each day, over 30 performers, and 3 main stages over the course of the 2-day festival. Personally, our team was very impressed by the eclectic mix of artists and their theatrical performances. Here is a roundup of our favorite performances of the Made in America Festival, let us know what you think!
Saturday
The first performance of the day was kicked off by the badass ladies of Haim from Los Angeles, California. They just returned home from touring with Rihanna, and they’ve played hundreds of shows and major music festivals over the past year. The individual personalities of this band shine when they’re on stage, but both these sisters truly know how to rock.
British band, Rudimental, is truly unique. They easily played one of the best concerts of the day. Their funk-soul music is upbeat and keeps the crowd dancing. The three singers are accompanied by a keyboardist, drummer, trumpet player, guitarist and synthesizer. Together the instruments provide a truly awesome experience.
We wish French rock band, Phoenix, would tour a lot more often. Although they’ve been around since the early 90’s, their energy through the show was incredible and you could easily hear every person in the audience singing along to their music. Lead singer, Thomas Mars, ended the set with a long crowd-surf that drove everyone wild.
To sum up the Empire of the Sun performance in two words: life changing. This Australian duo outdid themselves with a performance nothing less than a full-blown theatrical show. The incredible costumes and makeup truly added an element of surprise to this unique show.
At the mere age of 21, Porter Robinson kept the jam-packed Freedom Stage dancing for well over an hour. His music encompasses many different electronic influences including international video games and is accompanied by a mind-blowing light show.
Last but certainly not least, there was Beyonce. Need we say more? At a few days shy of her 32nd birthday, this one woman headliner was the top performer of the night. Aside from her flawless voice and seductive dance moves, Beyonce’s Victorian-inspired Mrs. Carter Tour video clips and her couture outfits were unforgettable. Although the crowd was a little disappointed when Jay-Z did not make an appearance (despite a couple teasers), the Mrs. Carter Show was a perfect way to end the first day of the festival.
Sunday
After her big sister’s big headlining performance the previous night, Solange also hit the stage to show off her vocals. While it’s hard not to compare the two siblings, the Knowles sisters have completely different styles and we love the intimacy of Solange’s vocals and performance.
The first “big” performance of the day for us was Kendrick Lamar and his Black Hippy crew that consists of rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. Of course the crowd was totally into “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and went nuts arguably the best verse in “Fuckin’ Problems.” The latter song was also performed Day 1 by festival acts A$AP Rocky and 2 Chainz.
To get more hyped up, GTA and Feed Me were amazing. GTA brought their Miami-based beats to the festival and had some great mixes. We love their experimental spirit. Feed Me DJ, John Gooch, included more dubstep music that got the energy even higher. Fans especially enjoyed because he has spoken out about resigning from EDM. We sure did, and needless to say, both DJs had us dancing for hours.
Radio-favorites, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, were an obvious favorite act of the second day. The performance was all that anyone could’ve asked for, including Macklemore reppin’ the Phillies hard in his jersey. Of course, the crowd broke into dance for “Thrift Shop,” while the mood changed respectively as the crowd sang along to the empathetic “Same Love.”
Day 2 was definitely heavy on the hip-hop and R&B acts, which continued with Wiz Khalifa, who has a very strong PA-fan base. His roots are in Pittsburgh and his new wife Amber Rose is from the Philadelphia area, and she joined him onstage for his hit “Black and Yellow.”
Our night ended early with the highly-anticipated Calvin Harris. He opened with the much-loved “Sweet Nothing” track featuring Florence Welch. The mixes after that were all on par with the style that made Calvin Harris so popular. The rest of the performance was top-notch and included “I Need Your Love” featuring Ellie Goulding, “We Found Love” featuring Rihanna, and his solo “Feel So Close” to close out the show.
Music wasn’t the only factor of the show though. There was a fantastic Skype lounge that included charging stations, photobooths, and a VIP lounge. The high swings set in the middle of the festival grounds were hard-to-miss and offered amazing city views. Food trucks were galore… and of course, there was no shortage of Budweiser.
Walking home and leaving the festival, we heard Nine Inch Nails performing their headliner act, which honestly sounded like a perfect, mellow way to end the weekend. As sad as we are that Made in America 2013 is over, we’re already excited to hear what Mr. Carter and team have planned for 2014. Our expectation are high, but we have a feeling he won’t disappoint.
