The first weekend of April brought The Aprés Music Festival to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. The three day run included headliners Umphrey’s McGee and The String Cheese Incident, with support from bands Moon Taxi, The Main Squeeze, ALO, and Southern Avenue.
After crushing the main stage, both headliners played after shows at Aspen’s Belly Up, an intimate and mighty noteworthy venue.
Unlike the masses that are surely brought to Aspen every year for the X-games, held in the same location as the Aprés, crowds were small, and lines were short entering the first-year festival last Friday. However, with temperatures dropping and feet of snow to sink into, one might have hoped for a more jam packed crowd for the sake of warmth. That being said, I give you the do’s and don’ts of an outdoor music festival at the base of a snow laden ski resort.
Attire:
- DO:
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- Dress Appropriately! No one cares if you look “cute.” You’re going to cover it all up with a parka anyway! Layers layers layers!
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- Wear functional shoes: wool socks and combat boots DID NOT cut it! Recommendation: ski/snowboard boots
- DON’T:
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- Wear shoes with holes in them! You WILL get snow in them and your feet WILL be frozen.
Booze and Foods:
- DO:
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- Eat before you go: resort food options close when the ski lifts close! No night skiing=no chili cheese dogs.
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- Pregame: showing up sober means $17 Coors Light, and lets face it, its not even worth the $5 we usually pay for it
- DON’T:
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- Bring snacks: they will be confiscated at entry
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- Try to smuggle in alcohol; they WILL find it and they WILL take it (I learned this one the hard way #SorryMom)
Smoking:
- DON’T:
-
- Bring cigarettes! Smoking is prohibited on ski mountains!
- DO:
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- Bring a Juul, or some other type of vape if you must serve your nicotine needs!
Transportation:
- DO:
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- Take an Uber, Lyft, or FREE Shuttle to and from town!
- DON’T
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- Drive! Parking lines are lengthy, fees are hefty, not to mention illegal after all those beers you slammed to keep warm!
That’s it, that’s all! Like every festival, mountainside gigs take lots of preparation. But, remember: prior planning prevents poor performance! See you out there for the next one!
