Beyond the Toga: Summer Concert Tailgate

Ever been to a tailgate where everyone’s rooting for the same team? No, it’s not football season—we’re pre-gaming for a summer concert. Grab your tickets and a cooler—here’s how a concert tailgate is done.


Get Dressed
Go crazy. Seriously, you can probably get away with anything because most people will be too drunk to notice. Clothes have got to match the concert your going to—a hippie look, complete with bandana and tie-dye for concerts like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. Rap? Break out the bling. Dressing for a tailgate is the same as getting ready for a concert but bolder. You’re going to be amongst a ton of people so stand out with a full costume—or if you’re a minimalist put your money into drinks and food.

Get Prepped
Tailgates can be wild but they do take some planning. Get all of your friends together and fill the car with tailgate essentials. Big cars are best, so force your friend with the SUV or van to drive.

Throw in a portable BBQ, burgers and hotdogs; you’ll be craving food very soon after you start drinking. A cooler is a necessity: no one wants to drink warm beer. Make a playlist of the bands you’re seeing to get into the mood.

“We packed bean bags to play corn hole and funnels for beer,” says Pittsburgh Junior Nicole Zenn.

Get Set-Up:

Get into the parking lot and find an empty spot—while avoiding all of those people that keep cutting you off.

When you get there, turn on the BBQ and pump up the music. Make friends with the neighboring spots; you don’t want to argue with them later. Have some lawn chairs to sit in as you start so you can get right to the festivities. All of the preparations you made make for a simple set-up.

Washington University Junior Matt Schweiger had a great tailgate. “At a Dave Matthews concert, we started tailgating at 3. By 7:15, one of my friends was so drunk that he fell asleep and locked himself inside a Port-O-Potty."