Two fun facts:
- Houston is a very warm city.
- Music festivals tend to take place when it’s warm out.
Now, I’ll be honest, I doubt either of those facts come as a surprise to you. What may be surprising is that, until 2009, Houston was left without a tried-and-true music festival. Unless you travelled to another city (probably Austin), there was no local option for the festival-dweller.
Now, let me define “festival.” Houston has plenty of events with the word “festival,” in the title, but many of them are specified toward one group of listeners. Many of them are only one day long. Many of them have an intended purpose specific to the actual music (events like the Yes, Indeed! Fest and Buzzfest). A true festival is an event that lends itself more to being a festival than it does to the music itself.
In 2009, the Free Press Summer Fest began. What started there quickly blossomed into an amazing summer music festival for music-lovers and festival-lovers alike. A multi-day event, with varying artists of varying fame. A real bonafide festival.
Only a few years after it’s inception, the event would host the likes of:
2011: Weezer, Cut Copy, Ween, Big Boi, Beirut
2012: The Avett Brothers, Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Afrojack, The Flaming Lips, Primus, Descendents
2013: The Postal Service, Bassnectar, Iggy and the Stooges, Passion Pit
2014: Jack White, Vampire Weekend, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Childish Gambino
2015: Skrillex, R. Kelly, Weezer
2016: Collegrove (Lil’ Wayne & 2 Chainz), Deadmau5, Modest Mouse, The National
As for 2017, the Free Press Summer Fest is coming this weekend, June 3rd and 4th, from Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston. The line-up consists of Lorde, Flume, G-Eazy, Cage the Elephant, The Shins, Solange, and many others!
It’s Houston’s truest festival for those who love to attend festivals. Two days of variety, drinks, relaxation, heat, and a local hero (one Knowles is better than none, right?). It’s about time that we stop leaving Houston to attend festivals, and make the Free Press Summer Fest a long-lasting staple of the city!
Go out tonight, and any night. Jukely is a concert subscription that gives members guestlist access to hundreds of music events – for one price. Whenever you want to go out, you’ll always have something to do. Learn more and sign up at jukely.com.
