With more than one million revelers, 13 live music stages and beer flowing like any Wisconsin celebration, Summerfest is a UW-Madison student's dreamland.
Started in 1968 by Henry W. Maier as a summer festival on par with Oktoberfest, Summerfest earned less than $10,000 in its first year. After finding a home on a 15-acre lakefront site, the festival began showing signs of permanence in the mid '70s, drawing acts such as The Jackson 5, Johnny Cash, The Doors and Willie Nelson to name a few.
According to Media Communications Manager Dana Hartenstein, Summerfest is so successful because it appeals to so many different people.
\The main draw is music,"" she said, ""but there are a lot of people who come just to people watch, there are people who come specifically for the food, there are people who come just to be outside and on the lakefront in summer. It depends on what your interests are, but I think we have something for everyone.""
The '80s saw the construction of the Marcus Amphitheater and continually increasing attendance. Chubby Checker, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Tina Turner, John Denver, Run DMC and Stevie Wonder all made appearances during this decade, along with hundreds of others.
""It's kind of a mathematical equation almost,"" Hartenstein said of booking the acts. ""You have to figure out who's touring, who's available, who would fit in on any given day with the other stages."" But big artists are no trouble to lure in with the Summerfest name.
""It's not just some small neighborhood festival,"" Hartenstein said. ""It's a big deal.""
As the festival moved into the '90s, more improvements to the grounds and impressive national headliners have kept audiences coming. Now 75 acres along the shores of Lake Michigan, ""The World's Biggest Music Festival"" is an 11-day extravaganza of food and music.
""It's a lot of long, hard work,"" said Scott Sugden, lead system tech for Clearwing Productions, Summerfest's audio subcontractor. ""But becoming a creative part of what I love, music, is worth making it through all 11 days.""
??Sugden has been in charge of all the audio on Summerfest grounds for the past four years.
""It takes about two days to set everything up and then most days last from about 8 a.m. to around 1 a.m."" During this time, Sugden and his coworkers work nonstop to make sure the sound system is right for every band, but he still finds time to enjoy the music.
""The best place to see the show is right in front of the tower. That's where the sound man and light guy are, so you hear what they hear and see what they see, and the crowd is often less crowded.""
In its 37th year, this summer's lineup is one of the best in recent memory.??
""It's very diverse,"" Hartenstein said. ""There's enough new and enough old to keep it interesting."" This year's performers include some returning acts as well as many first timers, and it's not just the Marcus Amphitheater that reels in the big acts.
""On any given night it could go either way,"" said UW-Madison senior Chris Dike of the best stages. Dike has been to Summerfest for the past four festivals.
""My freshman year, Tom Petty was huge, but then last year Live was playing [at a ground stage] and it was packed then too,"" he said. Although not all the bands have been announced, the ground stages are already shaping up with some amazing shows.
Fans of up-and-coming bands like The Darkness and Jet can look forward to intimate performances on the ground stages. Reminiscent of Queen with roots in '80s hair rock, The Darkness is gaining a large fan base with the hit single, ""I Believe in a Thing Called Love."" Jet, which recently opened up for The Vines, is gaining popularity with its catchy music, namely, ""Are You Gonna Be My Girl.""
Real-life hair band Tesla will promote their newest album Into the Now, as well as playing old favorites from their '80s albums.??Other '80s bands to check out include Styx, Cheap Trick and Joan Jett.
Another genre passing through Summerfest is post-grunge. Live, best known for ""Lightning Crashes,"" and 311, known for ""All Mixed Up"" will both headline a ground stage.??
Other promising performances are that of rapper Talib Kweli and The Roots. Both use music as an activist tool to promote change in society. These unique performances add to the variety of music at the fest, as rap and hip-hop have generally been under-represented.
Not only are many new acts playing on the Summerfest ground stages, old favorites are also scheduled to make their appearances. Summerfest favorites like Ben Folds, O.A.R., Guster and Willy Porter will give their usual popular concerts.??They will be joined with performers of similar genres such as Five for Fighting, Jason Mraz and Rufus Wainwright.
Summerfest ground stages offer something for every musical taste, and in just one day, music fans can experience a variety of musical genres from rock to rap. The short hour-and-a-half commute will be well worth it to see some great bands perform live on the lakefront.
