My Timeflies Tuesday
Whether you’re a senior trying to fit in everything you possibly can in your final semesters (me), or a first year seeing what UVM and Burlington have to offer, or anything in between, hopefully this will help encourage you to get out there and experience it!
As a senior, I’ve definitely missed out (sometimes surprisingly) on great opportunities at UVM/in Burlington: I’ve never gotten a free massage at Living Well (I know, I know, don’t worry- it’s on my list), before this semester I’d only ever been in the library a handful of times (I’m aware that this is ridiculous and I’ve only started going more now because my printer broke over the summer…), and up until Tueday, October 6th, 2015, I had never attended a concert at Higher Ground.
There have been tons of concerts I wanted to go to (Frank Turner, Oh Honey, among others…), but I didn’t know anything about Higher Ground. I stress about the little things, such as “where the heck is this place?”, “what am I supposed to WEAR?”, “how do I buy tickets?”, and “what even IS Higher Ground?”
Well, friends, if you also stress out over questions like these before going somewhere, I’ve got some answers for ya! First of all, buying tickets is super easy- just go to highergroundmusic.com to see all the awesome people performing there. They host musical acts, comedians, and poets. When you find someone you want to see, you can buy the tickets right online.
Second, like any place/event in Burlington, you’re going to see people wearing all sorts of things. And no one is going to judge you for wearing whatever you want. I wore leggings, vans, and a tshirt, while my friend wore jeans, boots, a sweater, and the same exact shirt as me. (It was not only an accident that we wore the same shirt, but also a surprise that we had even purchased the same one #friendshipgoals). We both felt comfortable in what we wore.
LOCATION. Higher Ground is right between two other very important places y’all should know the location of: Urgent Care and Dunkin’ Donuts, just a little ways down Williston Rd. Also, Higher Ground is conveniently located across from McDonald’s where you know we took advantage of the first day of all-day breakfast and got post-concert hashbrowns.
As for the place itself, Higher Ground is awesome and not exactly what I imagined. There’s plenty of parking and a movie-theater-like lobby with the box office. When you walk through the doors, it opens into the audience area. It is all standing room in the general area. On the right, if you go up a small set of steps and present your ID (if you’re 21+), there’s a bar and a sitting bar that faces the stage with maybe 15 chairs. In the bar area, your view is a little higher, but you’re significantly farther away.
For the opening act, Kalin and Myles, my friend and I stood in the bar area for the higher view. I didn’t really know any of their music, but they were really fun and interactive with the audience. Their music was pretty good, too. My friend definitely looked up more of their stuff after seeing them. When they finished up, we decided to get closer for the draw of the night: Timeflies.
I saw Timeflies last summer at one of those huge, radio-station-sponsored, outdoor concerts. I think they got to play maybe 3 or 4 songs. I could barely see the stage at that one, but Timeflies was awesome live. If you don’t know Timeflies, I seriously recommend checking gem out. Their “Timeflies Tuesday” covers are great (favorites: Timeflies Taylor (both), We Can’t Stop, and Timber) and their second album, After Hours, is one of my favorites. When I found out Timeflies was coming to Burlington and a smaller venue, I knew I had to see them. My friend and I managed to get really close near stage left for an excellent view. They played a nice mix of songs from After Hours, songs from their new album, Just for Fun, and covers, including one of their classic freestyles with Burlington/UVM words. My favorites were “Church Street,” “Green and Gold,” and “Bernie Sanders.” Timeflies was an excellent first Higher Ground concert for me, but I wish I’d known how awesome HG was sooner!
Now I plan on going as often as possible between now and May. Here’s what the Bored Team is looking forward to at Higher Ground:
Alisha- “I am excited to see Andrea Gibson on November 2nd. She is a spoken word artist who is able to vulnerable and honest yet still have you laughing at times. She is able to speak harsh truths and tell pieces of her story. Her work is relatable yet unique.”
Fraser- “I’m looking forward to seeing Trevor Hall. He is an amazing guitarist/singer. One of my favorite songs is Om shakti om =] ”
Mel- “I’m looking forward to checking out SOJA on October 10th! The band has opened for Dave Matthews band, a group which I love and listen to often. I also appreciate what SOJA stands for, as they explain that ‘our goal as a band is to stick up for the human race. We see the world and we try it make it better in the limited time we have here.’ Nothing better than a group that creates good music AND has an awesome purpose- check out their song Here I Am!”
Corey- “Wild Child on November 5th!”
Dallas- “Totally looking forward to They Might Be Giants! My favorite song is Istanbul.”
Anna- “I am super excited to Young Rising Sons on November 18th- their song High is an excellent driving song!”
Check out highergroundmusic.com to see all of the awesome acts coming to Higher Ground! And don’t make the same mistakes I did (serious Young the Giant FOMO)- when you see a band you like, get a ticket!
