What an experience! For me, this trip is forcing me to try new things and attending a music festival in St. Gallen certainly qualifies. To begin, let's get a sense of the setting. St. Gallen, though pretty, is not a worthwhile town to visit on its own.
After Gabe and I checked our bags at the hotel WEISSES CREUZ and fueled up with Doner Kebab, we went straight to the park, which was 5 minutes outside of town by bus. Quickly upon arrival, one experiences sensory overload -- 30,000 people, trash, intermittent rain, the unmistakable smell of pot, an alarming rate of tobacco smokers, uncomfortably public urinals, and blasting music ... But bear with me; despite all of this, it added to the experience. The incredible music definitely helps. But the badass feeling Gabe and I had from thinking we were at Woodstock 2012 justified the surrounding.
After loosening up at the "Latino Night" tent, we went to watch the first act ... The Kooks. As you'd imagine, the crowd, drunk, high, and excited, went wild. Surprisingly, moving to a good spot was not difficult and we listened for the 45 minutes they played. After they finished, we went back to the Latino Night Tent.
Next up was Palo Nutini, and for the purposes of brevity, I think it sufficient to tell you he was our least favorite act. Back to Latino Night.
Finally, the main act ... Mumford and Sons. The viewing area was noticeably more crowded and the fans more engaged. As a novice Mumford listener, I learned why .... They're freaking awesome! We stayed until the last song, at which point they were joined by Wolfmother, Nutini, and The Kooks, to sing "The Weight," by THE BAND.
That event, Gabe and I watched Spain defeat Italy for the title of Euro 2012 and were enjoying the street celebrations until someone shot fire works horizontally. We left after that :)
To my list of friends, I will add:
- "Ticino," a girl in town to watch the festival ...
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