Spending your Sunday in a parking lot in Worcester sounds more like the result of a good time on Saturday night than a good time itself. But this past Sunday (July 14) was a lot different.
The inaugural Sad Summer Festival – one of several new touring festivals trying to fill the void left by the recently departed VANS Warped Tour – made its way to Palladium Outdoors, the newest large capacity concert space in Massachusetts since Agganis Arena opened in 2006. With a capacity north of 8,000, Palladium Outdoors is looking to become a major player in securing in-demand summer touring packages, making it the perfect match for Sad Summer.
The touring fest is the brainchild of Arizona emo group The Maine, who were looking to put together a tour to not only replace Warped Tour but to improve upon one of Warped Tour’s most significant failures and create a safe, friendly environment where everyone can feel comfortable in their skin. The festival’s website outlines a detailed anti-harassment policy that everyone from the band members to festival attendees are expected to abide by.
Everything came together for a pretty outstanding afternoon for both the venue and tour itself. Sad Summer Festival has a long way to go before it can compare to the 25-year juggernaut that once was Warped Tour, but if 2019 is any indication, it’s well on its way.
Check out our full gallery of Sad Summer's Massachusetts stop below, featuring (in alphabetical order): Four Year Strong, Just Friends, Mayday Parade, Mom Jeans, Stand Atlantic, State Champs, and The Maine.
