Unfortunately, the wait was about what I expected if not shorter, but still not quite short enough to get through the gates in time to see Zac FTP’s DJ set, Yung Bans, BabyTron, or a few other emcees I had on my list.Īt the same time, though, I was shocked at how quickly the line actually moved, because even though certain moments felt like nothing was happening and I’d be standing there for ages, I was at the table getting my passes before I knew it, so I think the entire situation was handled as well as possible.
Although discouraged, I waited because it was the only thing anyone could do if we wanted to enjoy the fest at some point. Well, everyone must’ve had the same idea because as soon as my group and I showed up, the winding line seemed never ending. So, I made the executive decision to show up fashionably late after thinking about how the die-hard LL fans would most likely beat me to the punch anyways, and knowing that I couldn’t control this, I decided that getting there right around 4-4:30 was probably a safe bet. This meant I was going to have to miss some artists that I was extremely excited to see live like Bktherula for instance, but I saw her rock out the tent stage last year so I figured I would probably be stuck outside even if I did get there right when will call opened. Gates opened at 2, so my strategy was to show up a little bit later in order to avoid too much backup at the will-call tent. The opening day of the festival, and expectations have never been higher from both our perspective at Lyrical Lemonade as well as the fans who have been waiting months for this day, June 17 th, to finally come. I know this isn’t the typical article I may normally write, but I figured it would be a good stroll down memory lane for this year’s attendees while also letting those who missed out know that this is seriously the only place you want to be in the entire world every summer. At the same time, though, I had been to various other concerts hosted by LL dating all the way back to Lil Uzi Vert’s first-ever Chicago performance way back in April of 2016, so I know how we throw down at live events, and I also know just how loyal, supportive, and turnt up our fans get every chance they get.Ģ022 had some curveballs thrown at the team including a detrimental storm that almost paused the entire festival, but thanks to the consistently hard-working and ride-or-die group of individuals who put this fest together, the show went on without a hitch! I just want to clarify that this article is solely based on my own experience and not from the point of view of anybody else. Unfortunately, I missed the first year or two because of one reason or another, so 2021 was actually my first time experiencing this event live and in person. Forewarning, if you’ve already read my other recaps for each individual day, skip to the end for a few words of admiration to the LL family, from me!Įvery year, the Summer Smash seems to get bigger, better, and more insane than ever before, and 2022 is definitely no exception. Check out Bennett’s latest interview with Complex below.Yes, this article is super long and tedious, my bad…. Tickets for this year’s event are on sale now at. For some people, it’s beneficial to move out of Chicago once you’re in a position to do so, but I think that there is also something to say about trying to give back to the city.” “I am in a position where I can help possibly make Chicago that next city, the next L.A., in terms of resources and hubs,” Bennett said, “and really just make people more aware of the music culture here. In an interview with Complex in 2019, Cole Bennett expressed his desire to use Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash as a means to transform Chicago into a true hip-hop Mecca. Solorio added, “Our team is always striving to improve and elevate the festival experience, so we can’t wait to show our fans what we have in store this summer including bigger music acts performing on bigger stages, plus more food trucks, improved amenities, and more art installations than ever before. “It’s been incredible to witness our fest grow into one of the largest annual music events in the country in only four short years.” “Today marks an exciting milestone for Summer Smash as we unveil our biggest music lineup to date,” Summer Smash Festival director Berto Solorio said in a press release.
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