Music in the middle of Atlanta
Cardi B’s flamboyant performance gripped fans as people sang and danced along to her most famous songs: “Bartier Cardi”, “Money Bag”, and “Bodak Yellow.” “Cardi B’s performance had fire and strobe lights, so it was very energetic. Everybody was dancing around me. It even ended with fireworks,” junior Skylar Chan said.
September 17, 2019
Over 50,000 music lovers gathered in Piedmont Park for the 25th anniversary of Music Midtown, the popular festival hosting a crowd-pleasing lineup this past weekend, September 14 and 15. Scorching temperatures in the high-90s did not stop the predominantly young crowd from headliners Travis Scott, Panic! At The Disco, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, and Vampire Weekend in anticipation.
Despite not headlining the festival, other notable artists brought in crowds for later performances. Noteworthy day one performances included Band of Skulls, Sigrid, Lil Yachty, Charlie Puth, Kali Uchis, and up-and-coming rapper Lizzo: the latter in particular finished her concert with the popular song “Truth Hurts,” which led the way for her recent success. During her performance, she preached a message of body positivity and self-love, while also cracking a couple of jokes about the sweltering humidity in the air. Sigrid brought her Norwegian flare to Atlanta as she performed with minimal makeup and a ponytail.
“I was honestly surprised by Sigrid’s look at Music Midtown because she seemed down-to-earth compared to Cardi B’s elaborate performance,” junior Campbell Miles said.
Day one ended with Lil Yachty’s rager-like mosh pits, Brendon Urie’s spontaneous backflips during Panic! At The Disco’s performance, and Cardi B’s high-energy personality shining through her various sounds and popular raps.
Daytime performer, Madison Beer, sang passionately despite the heat and clearly pleased her crowd. “I have never listened to many of these artists, like Madison Beer, before the festival, so it was a cool experience finding new artists to listen to, especially while literally watching them perform,” junior Sophia Green said.
The second day of Music Midtown kicked off at 1 p.m. with the duo Goldspace + Good Company. Prominent daytime performances included Dominic Fike, Local Natives, Walk the Moon, and Jaden Smith. Although a short set, Dominic Fike pleased the crowd with his debut single “3 Nights.” Walk the Moon surprised concert-goers by opening their show with their song “Timebomb” off of The Lion King soundtrack. Jaden Smith, sporting red hair to match his eccentric persona, captivated the crowd with lively dancing and mosh pits full of energy.
“Jaden Smith’s performance was one of my favorites, even though he was not a headliner. He brought a lot of energy and that showed through the crowd’s jumping and rapping along,” junior Bella Van Essendelft said.
Night two started with Billie Eilish’s iconic performance of her emotional hit song “idontwannabeyouanymore”, which highlights body image & Eilish’s own personal insecurities. Her nonchalant nature carried on into her performance of “xanny”, singing the song while sitting cross-legged at center-stage. Having played at the Fox Theatre just a few weeks earlier, Vampire Weekend’s first Music Midtown performance displayed their classic indie sound to attendees. Between Billie Eilish’s and Travis Scott’s concerts, R&B artist 6lack performed a set to pay tribute to his hometown, Atlanta. The night ended with the most anticipated show of the weekend. While rapping songs off of his most recent album “Astroworld,” Travis Scott fans experienced mosh pits and surprise guests Offset and Playboi Carti, as well as colorful visuals, lasers, and fire that brightened the night.
Music Midtown 2019 brought together fans of all music genres in one park to enjoy several of the most popular artists in the country. Fans can agree that the weekend will be remembered not only for the music but also for the lively atmosphere in Piedmont Park.
