I was lucky enough to go to Made in America Festival in Philadelphia both days this past weekend, needless to say I am still recovering (and missing the fun!).
I went as a music fan Day 1 (which is all a blur of sweat, dance, and good times), and I covered Day 2 for Elite Daily! Below is an excerpt from my article with more photos. Make sure you read about the night of Made in America Day 2 featuring Calvin Harris, Queens of The Stone Age, and Nine Inch Nails, go to the article here!
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The crowd for Made in America Day Two gathered in Philly and for some this was their first day at the festival. For others, well, we were still recovering from Day One, but everyone was excited for Sunday’s lineup. With some of the best artists in rock, rap, dance and R&B, there was plenty to see on that hot, sticky, sweaty finale of the Made In America weekend.
The most important thing was to stay hydrated and not to pass out before the epic finale, featuring the return of Nine Inch Nails. This proved to be difficult as the day went on. Music fans and artists couldn’t help but talk about how hot it was, while friends tried not to hug too close as they found one another in the crowd and their bodies poured with sweat.
The heat didn’t stop a giant crowd forming at the Freedom Stage ready to dance to Robert Delong. The electronic rock and roll artist took the stage wearing his famous face paint and even painted the face of the cameraman before the show began. While getting the crowd moving, he used clever tactics throughout his music, promoting his new album Just Movement and website without breaking the beat.
Delong also shamelessly advertised his nerdiness as he bragged about his Google Glass and proceeded to epically perform a song with them. Along with playing tracks off Just Movement, Delong also covered Filter’s “Take A Picture” and the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” Besides the energy of Delong and the crowd, the best part of the set had to be watching him play live drums along to his music; he really is a one-man rock and roll dance machine.
Next AlunaGeorge took the stage on their first American tour after the release of their epic debut album Body Music. This was the duo’s first performance in Philly and fans couldn’t be more excited. Bringing with them a talented live band, AlunaGeorge smoothly crushed through fan favorites including “You Know You Like It” and “Your Drums, Your Love.” Fans gathered more and more for each song, some running over to dance after hearing their music from across the parkway.
Mid-afternoon called for Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar to take to the main stage, overlooking a complete sea of people. Kendrick Lamar couldn’t help but smile as thousands of people immediately sang his lyrics back to him. To the excitement of the crowd, he brought out Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul to help tear through his good kid, m.A.A.d city album.
The heat didn’t cease all day and Miguel made it even hotter when he took the stage. Fans melted as his smooth, soulful voice took over the parkway. Miguel sang and turned up the temperature, as he gave fans a sneak peek of his abs.
Wiz Khalifa played the Rocky Stage after Kendrick Lamar, taking control of the huge crowd playing hits like “Black and Yellow” and even brought wife Amber Rose on stage to serenade her during “Roll Up.” The crowd was excited to see the newlyweds together on stage and the couple couldn’t keep their eyes off each other.
After Wiz Khalifa, fans ran to the Liberty Stage to catch Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Pumping up the crowd playing their tracks from The Heist including “Ten Thousand Hours” and “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis gave the crowd of thousands time to reflect. Macklemore told the crowd that sometimes he wasn’t always proud to be an American and realized the importance of reaching out to government leaders to make good changes for our country. He spoke of the importance of equality for all before starting a powerful performance of “Same Love,” which ended with the crowd of thousands watching. The crowd then held one finger to the sky, showing that they believed in equal rights for everyone.
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I had such an epic time this weekend, it’s hard to believe the summer is coming to an end… but seeing so many of my favorite artists in my city in one weekend is a pretty perfect note to end on. Don’t forget to like/share/check out the rest of the article here!
xx Cher
