Chicago’s new beachfront music festival was all carefree, dance-centric fun this past weekend, as thousands crowded onto the sand at Oakwood Beach for two days of music and more—from henna tattoos to yoga to even impromptu haircuts.
While Saturday was gray, spirits were high for DJs like Felix Da Housecat—a local favorite—before headliner Empire of the Sun took the stage to get weird, complete with elaborate headdresses and wild dancers. On Sunday, electro-indie act Cherub got the party going before headliners Phantogram charmed the crowd with pitch-perfect sound and Passion Pit brought down the house with all of the crowd’s favorite hits. Throughout the weekend, DJs packed The Tent, while a more laid-back dance vibe dominated the Beach House and the Main Stage saw solid crowds rocking by the lake all day long.
All told, sunny skies and a positive attitude dominated the inaugural festival, even if it did take most fest-goers multiple trains and a shuttle bus to reach Mamby. But hey, for some folks, the journey was half the fun.
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