Summerfest 2025- Opening Day!
- Static Mouth Society
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
By Static Mouth Society
There are plenty of ways to make life exciting—but few compare to being surrounded by music, feeling the bass in your chest, bumping elbows with strangers to get closer to an act, or dancing like no one’s watching. There’s something magical about being at a concert, surrounded by a crowd that loves the music just as much as you do. The energy is unmatched, and the connections—whether fleeting or lasting—remind us why we keep showing up for moments like these. This is what makes live music so addictive. This is what keeps us coming back.
Summerfest—the world’s largest music festival—takes place in Milwaukee, WI, and features a staggering 600+ artists across 12 stages over 9 days. Let’s run that back… 600 artists. 9 days. It’s massive.
For context, the last music festival we attended was Warped Tour 2016—nearly a decade ago (yes, long overdue). So stepping into this whirlwind of sound, color, and vendor-lined walkways felt like coming home. We weren’t sure what to expect for our first time at Summerfest, especially on opening day—but we weren’t disappointed. From stage to stage, from local gems to industry giants, the air buzzed with melodies that enticed, pulled, and lured you in. With a lakeside breeze, skyline views, and nonstop music, Summerfest isn’t just a festival—it’s an experience.
A word of advice if you're planning to go: measure your bag ahead of time. We guessed—and got turned away at the gate until we found a place to store ours. You can also purchase a bag inside the grounds, ranging from $10 to $30+.
After that minor hiccup, we grabbed some classic festival lemonade and stepped into a new adventure. Our initial strategy was to walk the entire grounds and take in everything Summerfest had to offer. From small solo acts lining the walkways to big-name booths handing out branded swag—from Bubbl’r to Bush’s Beans (yes, they brought the Beanmobile), to Starry and beyond—there was no shortage of fun stops.
Some of our favorite vendors featured vinyl, carnival corn, trendy iron-on patches, jewelry, local art, clothing, and a whole lot of music merch. It’s the kind of environment where you don’t just look—you explore. We would even be confident in saying there is something for everyone!
After taking it all in, we made our rounds again—this time stopping to actually listen. The first act that pulled us in was Fort Frances, an indie-rock band out of Chicago. Their energy and crowd interaction were magnetic, creating an upbeat and exciting vibe to kick off the afternoon. If you’re a fan of all things rock, they’re worth checking out. With a well-balanced sound and the unexpected (but welcome) use of horns in their arrangements, Fort Frances stands out as a hidden gem in this year’s lineup.
Eventually, we made our way back across the grounds in search of food and found a table to settle down. As luck would have it, we landed right in front of a local artist tent—where we were treated to the warm, heartfelt vocals of Ryan Mead, an Australian country artist with a big Americana feel. His sound was the perfect backdrop to pause, eat, and take it all in—and we weren’t the only ones who thought so. Ryan lured in a crowd of country music lovers and kept them hooked, song after song.
You can tell Ryan Mead loves what he does—and that kind of passion is contagious. When an artist is genuinely engaged, having fun, and fostering a like-minded community, it draws people in. And that sense of connection? We’re all in.
There’s something powerful about music that makes people stop, listen, and then start dancing to a Johnny Cash cover or “The Watermelon Crawl.” With the crowd clapping, square dancing, and vibing to those classic country sounds, we felt it in our gut—this kid is going to make it big.
On our way out, we caught one of the bigger names on the day’s lineup—Bow Wow. Just as Ryan reminded us that it’s okay to be soft and intimate with an audience, Bow Wow brought the opposite: pure, high-voltage energy. The bass rattled through our bodies. The crowd? Elbow-to-elbow, jumping like their lives depended on it. It was electrifying.
This was the kind of performance that charged you the longer you stayed. It reminded us of what it really means to be at a concert—loud, alive, and unforgettable. The kind of moment that becomes the memory of a lifetime.
As the night came to a close and the city lights shimmered across the lake, we found ourselves walking away from Summerfest with full hearts and ringing ears—buzzing with everything we’d just experienced. From unexpected artist discoveries to the thrill of seeing major acts bring the crowd to life, every moment added to a patchwork of memories we won’t soon forget. There’s something uniquely special about being surrounded by people who came for the same reason—to feel something real through music. Whether it was the intimate storytelling of a local artist or the explosive energy of a headliner, each performance reminded us of why live music matters.
It’s not just about the songs. It’s about the shared experience—the collective high of swaying to the same rhythm, the strangers who become dance partners, the lyrics you didn’t know you needed to hear. And after nearly a decade away from the festival scene, Summerfest welcomed us back in a way that felt like a warm, electric hug.
If opening day was any indication, this summer is going to be one for the books. And if you’re wondering whether it’s worth it to show up—to stand in the sun, wait in lines, and lose your voice screaming along to songs—you already know the answer. We’ll be showing up again and again. Because festivals like this remind us: the music never really stops.
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