When our DC (DCW50) station called for some help in their Firefly Music Festival coverage I jumped at the chance. Very soon after I learned that our access to shoot did NOT include video/stills. While that was a downer, it was still great to be a part of this amazing music experience. We set up a few interviews, got to be back stage and at the very end of my day I got to see Morrissey and Paul McCartney from “THIS” close with my press access. Here are some videos of some bands/artists I am now HUGE fans of!
After my work part of the show was over I used my VIP credential to take in two really great acts I loved as a kid, Morrissey and Paul McCartney. Neither act disappointed. Morrissey sounded better than I have ever heard him live. The crowd had contingents of people very not into Morrissey that I could not quite get a hold on why. May have been the prolonged “Meat is Murder” cow film that might have seemed like a bovine snuff film to the high Millenials on hand. (He never got that part of the crowd back).
And the entire festival literally stopped when Sir Paul played. (He was the only stage going at the time he played). I had to leave a little early in the McCartney set for work reasons, but the trip out through the crowd was like a living archaeological dig of music lovers. Closest to the McCartney was the 60 plus crowd that got their early for a great vantage point. (No assigned seating at Firefly). As I walked back through the crowd, away from the stage it got younger. Next up was the 40s and 30s that had a love for the Beatles from their parents. Finally the teens and 20s, that sometimes get accused of being the generation who tweets “Who is Paul McCartney” and stuff– but make no mistake– they were digging it too. It was a moving multi-generational walk that reminded me why I love music.
Firefly was a muddy 4 day festival out in the Delaware wilderness that I will never forget. Here are some production stills of the crew that day I took– Me, (Tony Romeo PHL17), Ryan Wismer PHL17, Julie Peak DCW50 and Rian Kirchhoff DCW50.
