Grandoozy: The Good And The Bad
For those of us that live in Denver, we know that there are a couple of big festivals such as Global Dance and Decadence. But, now there is a new one! Grandoozy had its inaugural weekend September 14-16. For those of you that know Outside Lands in San Francisco and Lollapalooza in Chicago, Grandoozy is put on by the same company, Superfly. It features craft beer and spirits, art, yoga, and the outdoors; basically encompassing everything Denver loves. We here at The Festival Voice had a chance to interview some attendees and artists about their experiences during Grandoozy’s first year!
There were three main stages, Rock, Paper, and Scissors, where you could see artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Florence and The Machine, and Stevie Wonder. Attendees loved that the stages were far enough apart that the sounds weren’t melding together but close enough that you weren’t walking too much to get to each stage. There were also a couple other little music areas that were featuring a wonderful mix of well known and local DJ’s. As far as the music went, people seemed pretty stoked on the variety of genres and styles that were a part of Grandoozy.
Some attendees did not like that the lines at the beer tents were so incredibly long, so they had recommended more bartenders. In addition to more bartenders, people had said that the online rules did not match what they were told when they were going through security. Poi lights and Hoola Hoops were not allowed at security, but nowhere on the online list did it say they were not allowed.
In addition to music, there were art installations, a Jack Daniel’s salon to get your best festival hair, a Capital One Card Holder Lounge, and a Bud Light Dive Bar with live music! There were also booths for non-profits such as Head Count, R Bazaar, Rock the Earth, and The Love, Hope, Strength Foundation, to name a few. All of these non-profits support the bettering of our population and the outdoors.
As much as Grandoozy succeeded in bringing a great variety of humans together for great music, food, drinks, and sociology lessons, there were some hiccups. This year, the Uber pick-up location was less than organized. Hundreds of people were trying to leave at the same time and the “zone” system they set up on a major rode proved to be very challenging. Hopefully, they’ll have that sorted out next year. Additionally, the vibes of the crowd were a little bit off and we’re not exactly sure why. It might have been because the crowd was such a mixed demographic that it kind of threw the vibe off. Maybe Denver isn’t quite ready for a multi-genre festival like that.
Overall, attendees had a mostly positive experience at Grandoozy, and would return next year! It was the first year Superfly was putting on this festival and we here at The Festival Voice were so thankful that everyone helping to make this festival was incredibly kind, helpful, and got us where we needed to go!
