The short answer would be: bring plenty of water. Last summer we headed to Philadelphia, PA for Jay Z's Made in America concert to see our faves: Beyonce, Phoenix, Imagine Dragons, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Calvin Harris, Miguel, and AlunaGeorge (to name a few). The lineup was pretty amazing- just ask the tens of thousands of fans who attended. Made in America is a struggle- the fight for space, oxygen and water separates those who listen to Beyonce and enjoy her music from those who have made her into a religion. Trust me, this is no place for the weak. Ill-prepared on the first night, we started dropping like flies: a few members of the group retreated before her feature, Thien suffered from dehydration and had to be carried out by the security guards mid-performance, and only two of us remained to experience Beyonce in all her glory. Needless to say, we handled Day 2 [Calvin Harris] like pros. Here are some insights and highlights we had from our trip.
Concert Insights
Bring water.Whatever you think is enough probably isn't, so bring an extra bottle per person. It's better to have more than enough than to visit to the medic tent.
Plan for a day at the beach.
Bring sunblock, sunglasses and a blanket. You may not be working on your tan lines, but you will definitely be sitting in the sun for long periods of time. Sitting is the smartest way to mark your territory, that being said, don't sit on the outskirts of the crowd because people passing by will walk through your stuff. Try to get a seat near the front barricades of the stage because you never know when Jay Z or someone amazing will walk by!
Prepare for the dirtiest port-a-potties of your life.
I still can't decide whether the bathroom conditions were worse in Southeast Asia or the Made in America concert. Obviously bring hand-sanitizer and tissue.
Plan out your day/lineup.
We were a bit foolish to think that we could juggle 3 different stages and still be front row for Beyonce's arrival. To be front and center[ish] we had to sacrifice a few phenomenal acts (DeadMau5, Rudimental, Empire of the Sun) to hold good places for her show. We were at the Rocky Stage starting at 5pm to wait for Beyonce's 10:30pm act [obviously, she was our top priority]. Pick your 3-4 most important, must-see acts for the day and be ready to camp it out. Bring water.
Philly highlights
Pat's vs. Geno'sWhen in Philly, a cheese steak sandwich is a must. We had heard a lot about the cheese steak war between Pat's King of Steak and Geno's Steak and wanted to see who would win the sandwich showdown for us. Between the 5 of us, we ordered 2 sandwiches from each vendor. Our verdict:
Pat's: Their meat was juicier and more tender than Geno's, which was a bit tough and overcooked.
Geno's: Their bread had the texture of potato bread - soft, chewy, more buttery. Pat's bread was a bit stale and dry for our liking. Even their juicy meat couldn't save it.
Pat's uses cheese wiz on their sandwiches while Geno's uses provolone. So in the end, it's up to your taste buds. They're both great places. The rivalry is still ongoing and the verdict is still inconclusive. They're across the street from each other so why not try both?
Coffee: La Colombe
We'll admit, we're coffee addicts and cannot function until we've had our dose of caffeine. So, good coffee is important to us. La Colombe happened to be across the street from where we were staying. The staff was extremely friendly and service was fast and efficient. The coffee was phenomenal - strong but smooth. I had to buy some to bring back to Boston after coming here. The price is also very reasonable - cheaper than your regular Starbucks cup of Joe.
Reading Market
If you enjoy indoor markets, you'll think you had died and gone to heaven. Aisles and aisles of produce, specialty items and eats. I could go on, but you already have the trillion reviews from Yelp to go through, so I'll just say: check it out if you're in the city!
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