So much goes into preparing for a music festival, especially when it involves camping. First you need to plan your line up. Second is to plan your beer. Third is to pack the perfect outfits and fourth is to pack some camping supplies just in case you were planning on sleeping at all during the weekend. But all this planning could not have prepared me for the amazing experience I had at Wayhome this weekend. From the amazing and legendary bands, to meeting some of the artist, to dancing and singing with 30,000 other music lovers. This weekend was a celebration from start to finish.

My most anticipated and favourite act of the weekend was Mac Demarco. I was so obsessed with seeing him that my friends made a drinking game based off my excitement. Every time I mentioned his name, they would take a drink. Needless to say, they got pretty drunk, pretty quickly. I wanted the best seats possible so I camped out at his stage, two hours before he was scheduled to go on. I had to make sure I was front row and in case you were wondering, yes it was totally worth the wait. Him and his band are some crazy dudes and possibly coolest kids you will ever get the chance to listen to. Their care-free attitude is very evident in their choice of clothes, Mac's on stage chain-smoking and in the music. I had the best time jamming to some crowd (and personal) favourites such as; “Salad Days” and “Ode to Viceroy”. Their wild anecdotes kept us laughing, specifically, the one about the guitarists plans to leave the band to build a roller skating rinkdowntown Toronto. I also loved that they ended their set with a massive jam session. This involved Mac playing one syllable on the drums for close to 5 minutes as his fellow guitarist tripped over themselves on stage while making weird, ambient sounds with their instruments. Mac makes you feel like you're his best friend with his “I don’t give a fuck” attitude and I think everyone around felt as much a part of his world as I did.

My second favourite was Arcade Fire, of course. They have probably been my favourite band for the longest time. My father was the one who showed me them back when I was in grade 7. They thrive to be different with their music, outfits and demeanour. Their band incorporates such a wide variety of instruments beyond the usual guitar and drums. They include bongos, a violin and an accordion just to name a few. They played most of their singles, which definitely got the audience super hyped. Everyone was dancing and singing along with the band. My favourite song by them is “Rebellion Lies” and I must admit that I went a little crazy when they played it on Saturday. Definitely made me fall in love with them all over again. I have such a great appreciation for Arcade Fire and the way that they are constantly pushing the boundaries of music and following their passion for music.

Beirut put on an amazing show and was my third favourite performance this weekend. The band is made up of two trumpets, a trombone and an accordion, which is quite unique in comparison to a lot of other indie rock bands. The audience fell in love with their sound and the lead singers beautiful voice, which gave me chills when he first came on stage. My favourite song from their set was “No No No”, which is off of their new album No No No.

Some honourable mentions from the weekend include Noah Gunderson, a singer-songwriter from Seattle who I got to meet after his set. HAIM, three sisters who know how to kill it on the drums. Glass Animals, an indie rock band from Oxford who play the coolest beats. Major Lazer, which was just a huge dance party. And Half Moon Run, a Canadian band who knows how to put on an amazing show and who I got to meet before seeing Arcade Fire.

I found my way home at this festival.

WAYHOME 2016