Beach Bunny’s Pool Party Fest makes its Debut at Salt Shed

By Sofia Wheelock

Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and Summer Smash have dominated the Chicago summer music festival scene for years. And instead of playing at one of these events, local band Beach Bunny decided to throw their own end-of-summer bash along with four other indie artists from all over the world.

During a heatwave as brutal as the one that hit Chicago on August 23rd and 24th, the last thing anyone wanted to do was step outside of their air-conditioned homes. Surprisingly, hundreds of indie rock fans ventured out into the sauna-like heat to attend the first-ever “Pool Party” music festival.

Patrons flocked into the courtyard of the Salt Shed, dressed in colorful Beach Bunny Merchandise to represent the band that had made it all happen. And though there was no actual pool at this event, the Salt Shed found other ways to keep everyone safe and cool while enjoying the artists.

The festival was organized by Chicago Native Lili Trifilio and her indie power-punk band Beach Bunny. Since their hit song “Prom Queen” blew up on TikTok in 2019, they have gained a massive following and fanbase. They are known for their melancholic lyrics of heartache and longing paired with a pop-punk sound filled with bouncy guitar riffs and heavy drums.

The lineup for the fest, along with Beach Bunny, included Elita, Squirrel Flower, Charly Bliss, and The Beths. Every artist brought their all and gave the audience every ounce of their amazing energy. They were all excited to be able to play at the Pool Party and be a part of making this local festival happen.

The heat on the day of the festival was brutal, but the Salt Shed and its amazing staff provided every guest with everything they needed to keep cool. Throughout the fest, fans, misting tents, and a free water refill station were open to everyone along with a few shady spots to sit down in and take a break from the sun. The inside of the Salt Shed was also open to anyone in need of a cool place to sit and soak in the refreshing A/C.

Each bar at the venue (there were multiple, inside and outside) had free water, and at the front of the stage, security guards passed free ice-cold water bottles to fans in the crowd. Each artist who performed also made sure that everyone was okay between songs and reminded them to stay hydrated and look out for others who might need help.

Though the festival was created to highlight each artist equally, Beach Bunny definitely stole the show. Once they came on stage, everyone at the festival was mesmerized by their sound. Most people there had come to see them but after seeing what the other bands had to offer, hopefully, they left with a few new favorite artists.

Beach Bunny’s set lasted about an hour and a half, and they had the crowd engaged the entire time. Trifilio has an incredibly captivating voice live as well as in her recordings. It’s always great to see an artist live that doesn’t sound completely different in person.

Their energy was 100% for the entire show, which you hardly see from live performers these days. They truly cared about sharing their music and giving their fans a fun and enjoyable show. Lili Trifilio’s crowd control was like that of an orchestra conductor. When she told everyone to crouch and jump during “6 Weeks”, they did it. When she told everyone to form a massive mosh pit for their closing number, they obliged.

Needless to say, every artist there had as much fun performing as the crowd did while seeing them. It was impressive for Beach Bunny’s first time hosting a music festival. It was unlike any musical event many people there had ever been to.

The “Pool Party” was a successful first festival for Beach Bunny and was a great way for locals to discover more artists similar to them. Trifilio hopes to make the fest an annual event. Hopefully, we will see them again next year with some new artists and maybe even an actual pool.

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Links:

Beach Bunny:

Official: https://www.beachbunnymusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beachbunnymusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beachbunnymusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beachbunnymusic/

Salt Shed:

Official: https://www.saltshedchicago.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltshedchicago
Twitter: https://twitter.com/saltshedchicago
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltshedchicago/