Francesca Hodges
Life is beautiful, especially when attending over ten concerts in only one weekend. Senior Gabriella Sheffler lived this dream the weekend of Sept. 15 at the Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, NV.
Life is Beautiful is known for celebrating musical, culinary, and creative arts, bringing together one large culmination of passionate individuals. While the festival this year attracted people from 50 different states (according to the Las Vegas Review Journal), Sheffler still retained individuality in the sea of attendees.
The art exhibits gave Sheffler a variety of colorful Instagram-worthy shots dotting the 18-block downtown festival grounds.
“There were a few interactive pieces, but mostly murals, as each wall was painted by a different artist that festival-goers could take pictures by. There was long interactive exhibit with lots of different rooms that you’d go through and be able to touch pieces and bounce on blow ups,” Sheffler said.
While the interactive exhibits encouraged Sheffler to bring out her inner curious child, the overall music festival’s atmosphere encouraged goers to find their inner self.
“From Life is Beautiful, I got the vibes of a free spirit, individualism, and finding who you are as a person,” Sheffler said.
While the festival provided a platform for some deep soul-searching, the main attraction was of course, the live music. Sheffler saw all the artists that crowd her Spotify playlists, including Lorde, Chance the Rapper, Two Door Cinema Club, Cage the Elephant, Muse and many more. The energy of each of these individual acts differed in the pace of the show and music genre, but Sheffler especially appreciated the personal qualities that some artists brought to the festival.
“Lorde was very emotional about her songs, she was explaining her inspirations and mood while writing the songs,” Sheffler said.
Other, more untamed bands like Cage the Elephant brought a little bit more to the table than heartfelt messages to the crowd, however.
“Cage the Elephant was just insane. It was a very intense concert. The first song the guitarist was crowd-surfing and then at one point the lead singer started to serenade a security guard,” Sheffler said.
After seeing so many acts back to back, from the front of the large crowds, Sheffler admitted to losing some of her festival-given adrenaline.
“It was so tiring because [the festival] went from 3 in the afternoon to 1 am. And then I’d wake up the next day and do it again. Three days of that can really take a toll on you,” Sheffler said.
Sheffler’s fatigue was worth it however, as the Life is Beautiful acts differed from any other concert Sheffler has previously attended. Life is Beautiful spotlighted different sides of artists.
“I feel like the artists had more time to talk to the crowd. They were able to express how they were feeling,” Sheffler said. “All the artists were definitely in a good mood, especially as some of them were SoundCloud artists, not really used to playing in front of a crowd. One band even said ‘we’re not really used to people clapping after our songs.’”
Already preparing for next year, Sheffler has a battle plan to take full advantage of the festival’s many offerings.
“[Next year] I would make more storage on my phone, I took so many videos and pictures. Next year I will know the layout of the festival I’ll be able to go to the stages quicker and know where everything is,” Sheffler said.
With a plan and a will to return to the Life is Beautiful festival to experience it all over again, Sheffler’s anticipation cannot be contained.
“We’re already waiting on Early Bird Tickets for next year!” said Sheffler.
Life is Beautiful brings together variegated exhibits, cultures, ideas, artists, and fans alike to bask in the individuality of each other. The festival, unlike any other of its kind, makes the trek out to Vegas worth its while.
