So you like music festivals you say. Been to Bonnaroo you say. Well you ain’t seen NOTHING like Counterpoint.

When it comes to roughing it in a field, Counterpoint is king. It’s not like Bonnaroo where there are paths between tent groupings and roads to the venue entrance. Instead, you camp on a field, lined up in order of arrival, with space for a vehicle and a tent. That’s it. After 3 days the field transforms into a churned and muddy sea of tent skeletons, lost clothes and empty bottles. It really is quite a sight.

Camping officially opened on Thursday afternoon at 10am; the venue opened a bit later at 2pm. Having stayed in a hotel in Atlanta the night before, J and I had an easy half hour drive to the venue location off Browns Lake Road. Unlike Bonnaroo there weren’t signs pointing to the entrance and for quite a while we thought we’d missed the turn- until, finally, we saw people waving traffic down a tiny, dirt road into what looked like the bushes. We pulled up at the end of the line of cars at just past 3 in the afternoon and blasted dustup while we waited for an hour in the steaming sun. For a new festival the experience wasn’t nearly as painful as expected.

We reached the security checkpoint and were asked to get out of our vehicle so that it could be searched. The volunteers glanced briefly at the packed back seat but were quite thorough in checking the bed of the truck. Not realizing they’d be so strict we found ourself down a case of bottled beer but thankfully we were able to save our liquor by transferring it into plastic containers. Don’t make the same mistake we did and leave the glass at home.

We continued across the field in the direction of all the excitement. Originally we wanted to save spot next to us for a friend arriving later from South Carolina; we realized as soon as we parked next to our new neighbors that this was crazy. If you’re trying to camp with another car you really do have to go in together.

Immediately after parking we jumped out of the truck and began the struggle to set up camp. In addition to a 4 person sleeping tent we brought a canopy for shade and a tarp for extra cover. We connected the tarp with our neighbors on the left, shared tools with our neighbors on the right and instantly found ourselves with new best friends. It never ceases to amaze me how festival goers band together to make fun events that much more awesome.

We spent several hours arranging our tables, coolers and bedding and ate left over sandwiches. Then we cracked open beers, sat down with our neighbors and pregamed Adventure Club. So began a 3-day blur of the hardest bass I’ve ever experienced.

Counterpoint: What You Need to Know

  • Inaugural event dates: October 27-29, 2012
  • Next event dates: TBA
  • Venue address: 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, Georgia 30213
  • DO NOT BRING: glass bottles of alcohol. They WILL take these away and it will be a very sad day.
  • Showers cost $10. Ice costs $5. Food is available, but pricey, so bring your own.
  • MY ESSENTIAL ITEMS: portable music player, hookah, extra supplies for neighbors, quick snacks such as granola/gold fish/cheez-its/crackers, baby wipes, cases of water, mouthwash, toilet paper, paper towels, pillows, yoga mat to sleep on, folding table, cooler for ice, solo cups, beer pong balls, a printed schedule, a car cell phone charger, small backpack, gum, sharpie markers.
  • Be prepared for severe weather. At one point the festival was evacuated due to sudden high winds and heavy rain. We were luckily at camp during the storm and were able to batten down the hatches and keep our tents from blowing away. Others were not so lucky and returned from main stage to find their campsites ruined. Use tent stakes!!
  • MY LINEUP:
    • Day 1: Adventure Club, Big Gigantic
    • Day 2: Crystal Castles, Avicii, Bassnectar
    • Day 3: Steve Angello, Zedds Dead, Skrillex (& Lotus from afar), Pretty Lights, (& Laidback Luke from our campsite)
    • Wanted to see but didn’t: Beats Antique, Excision, Gramatik, Feed Me, Atmosphere, Porter Robinson, LOTUS

Check out these great blogs for a play-by-play of artist performances: