Virgin FreeFest 2009

Last year for our one year anniversary the hubs and I went to the Virgin Mobile Festival held in Baltimore. This year the festival was scaled down in size and moved out to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, but we figured driving a few extra minutes wasn't that big of a deal. While the festival itself was smaller there was one major selling point in its favor- it was free! The organizers decided the economy was terrible and therefore they were going to give away tickets and ask people to make a small donation to charity.

Pretty cool, right?

Of course, a bunch of greedy dirt bags scooped up a bunch of tickets and put them up on Ebay, Craigslist and StubHub for hundreds of dollars. Not cool at all! Those greedy people were the reason the hubs and I couldn't get any tickets when they were still free. I figured there was no way I was going to pay some scalper and just had to admit defeat and realize that the hubs and I would miss out on this year's concert. Fortunately, a few more tickets were released late last week through Ticketmaster. Now, they weren't free, but only charging $10 per concert ticket makes them practically a giveaway in mind.

So we went and we had a grand old time.

We went later in the day and saw Taking Back Sunday, Jet, The Bravery, Weezer and Blink-182. Not too shabby! Those were just the bands on one stage.

Now, the hubs and I soon figured out at last year's concert that the creative minds behind the Virgin Festivals like to think of somewhat odd and interesting side acts to include in their lineup. By far the oddest side act we saw this year was this little number.

You paid money in order to throw a water balloon at a complete and total stranger driving a go-cart. Whatever go-cart driver got hit in the head the least won. Very, very, very bizarre.


I'm not sure what exactly this says about the nature of our humanity, but the go-cart drivers seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Never one to shy away from making a public spectacle, Richard Branson served beer, oversaw a sky diving show and sprayed a few concert goers with champagne. But hey, the guy make it a free show, so he's cool in my book.



We have a Mark Hoppus sighting!!!

See those little dots near the helicopter? Yeah, those are people!!! A live video feed on the huge jumbo screens showed these two guys jumping out of the helicopter. Apparently, they didn't suffer from any form of acrophobia.


Oh yeah, there was so music at the concert.







Definitely one of the better Sundays we've had this summer!