Late Sunday acts Kendrick Lamar, ODESZA keep fans in place at Firefly 2018

There were a dozen hours still before his last show at his first Firefly Music Festival, and Kyree Garrett was hiding from the sun in the shadow of a Dover International Speedway light pole.

The sun had been baking the 19-year-old Virginian for days and he might already have left if he wasn't holding out for one last show — one of the last Firefly had to offer.

“He’s just a real lyricist," Garrett said of headliner Kendrick Lamar. "He’s not like everybody else talking a whole bunch of nonsense. He actually has meaningful rap."

Garrett already had seen who he came for, and Lamar was just icing on the cake. As much as he likes the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, four full days of fest takes its toll.

“As soon as I saw Eminem was on the lineup, I said buy the ticket, I don’t care who else is on there,” Garrett said. “My little brother is a big Kendrick fan though – almost the way I love Eminem – so it’s really important, because he’s not here, that we can take video."

Sunbaked, partied-out and hunting for the coolest places in the heat-soaked festival experience, Firefly faithful pushed through one final stretch Sunday with big-time, late-night acts on their minds. Though many were looking for a quick escape before traffic backed up, for many more the late Sunday shows were the whole reason to be there.

Sunday headliner Kendrick Lamar wasn’t set to take the stage until 9:15 p.m. for his hour-and-a-half set, but the music wouldn’t end until midnight when the final act ODESZA wrapped up. The group had at least as much buzz as Kendrick Lamar.

Many campers traditionally stay until the Monday after Firefly closes, but in years past, the Sunday headlining spot has been occupied by rockers Muse, surfer-turned-musician Jack Johnson and Mumford and Sons, among others. High-octane artists with broad appeal like Lamar have often been slated for higher-energy nights like Friday or Saturday. 

Also on the ticket for Sunday is SZA, the up-and-coming R&B singer and one-time Delaware State University student whose album "Ctrl" gained accolades after it dropped a year ago. Although vocal problems have kept her from touring recently, Firefly organizers said before the start of the festival that SZA was still slated to fill her 8 p.m. slot on Sunday at the Backyard Stage. 

“I’ve saw that a couple of people were heading out this morning. Some of my friends headed out. But I’m staying until the end,” said Lauren Bolz, an Ohioan attending Firefly for the first time. “I’ve heard just the experience of hearing them live is incredible.”

Bolz rattled off the names of the bands she'd come to see and the ones that had surprised her when she found herself in front of their stages, but because her friends back home had bailed she made the sojourn solo. She had new friends by the end of it.

“Once the idea was in my head I couldn’t get it out, so I still came down,” Bolz said. “Meeting the people was the best experience. Dancing with people and having fun even though you don’t really know each other is just a very exciting, real experience."

Bolz planned to camp out again Sunday night and make a break for home early Monday, but for Philadelphians Lauren Baker and Brandon Boribong, the end of the late shows was the end of Firefly. They didn't plan to leave until all the music was done. 

“It seems like everyone is waiting for the last events: Kendrick and another artist, ODESZA, who’s going to be just as fun as Kendrick," Boribong said. "I think a lot of people are going to be staying through the end of the show. It’s going to be a big traffic jam at the end, for sure, but it’s going to be worth it.”

For Baker, who said she's been trying to get to Firefly for years, dodging the sun and keeping a happy camp was hard work — but worthwhile in the end.

“It was a little bit more mellow than I expected. I was expecting something more extravagant and crazy,” Baker said. “But everyone was so crazy high-energy."

Leaving a music festival is a balancing act, an effort to maximize the ticket's value while confronting the limits of personal stamina. And some people work Monday morning. 

“We’re staying and leaving at three in the morning. We’re going to pack up and avoid traffic," said 17-year-old Bear resident Gabi Latzgo. "We just wanted to see Kendrick.”

Latzgo came with Rafael Collazo, an 18-year-old from New Castle. The festival experience was a first for both of them after hearing about it for years from friends.

"My friends made it look fun so I wanted to experience it," Collazo said.

Experiencing the festival with new friends is what brought Alyssa Garrett down from Rochester, New York. Just like last year, she didn't plan on leaving until she'd seen it all.

"I’m not a huge festival person. I go to a lot of concerts and a lot of shows, but I definitely plan on coming back to Firefly," Alyssa Garrett said. “We could leave after, but I’d rather just get some sleep and head out in the morning.”

Contact Adam Duvernay at (302) 319-1855 or aduvernay@delawareonline.com

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