You never notice the way the crowd synchronizes at a concert when you’re in it: the flux and flow of the bodies like blood to the pulse of the music, the crowd surfers skimming over the mass.
At Fest, you’re a critical part of the movements. As a volunteer, I watched it all unfold.
To some people, the best part about volunteering at Fest is the free, all-access wristband that is usually $100. I disagree.
The best thing about volunteering at Fest is the people you meet, whether you are helping the bands set up, letting people into venues or just talking to other volunteers.
Volunteering is a hugely important slice of the crazy Fest pie because it completes the entire experience.
You spend a couple of days seeing your favorite bands and discovering new ones, then you spend one shift meeting bands, helping the shows run smoothly and watching the crowd go crazy as your hard work pays off.
This was my second year volunteering, and both years, I checked wristbands at the door.
It sounds monotonous, but when a 6-foot-5-inch bearded man enters a venue in the middle of intricately air drumming along to a live band, and he stops mid-beat to show you his wristband and flash a thumbs-up, your night is far from dull.
Last year, I met one of my favorite bands, Make Do and Mend, standing in front of where I was volunteering at :08.
Then, as I volunteered, I got to meet bands like Lemuria and Iron Chic while I helped them before their sets. The thing about volunteering is that everyone is genuine.
The bands and the fans both share the same explosive passion for music, and these are people who are unapologetically themselves.
The way it feels to be a 19-year-old student with no tattoos screaming along to “World’s on Heroin” with a big, bearded dude in black on one side and a petite, purple-haired girl with octopus tentacles tattooed up her leg on my other side is euphoric.
We all look different, but we all feel the same about our music.
There’s more than just sharing music with new friends at Fest. I learned about gender identity and societal implications of being cisgendered in the crowd of Spoonboy at the Civic Media Center.
Volunteering at Fest is work, but the experience pays in ways that surmount money.
If you come into the weekend not knowing anyone, you will leave with some new best friends.
A version of this story ran on page 7 on 11/7/2013 under the headline "Fest leaves volunteer with new friends and lasting memories"
