Courtesy of Colin Lloyd
Sound on Sound Music Festival will be returning to Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 30th for its second year, bringing a weekend filled with music. Over 20 bands and musicians will be performing with notable headliners such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morisette, and John Mayer. It’s looking like this will be a can’t miss event!
Jordan Wolowitz, one of the founders of Sound on Sound, is responsible for booking the festival and building the setlist. As a music-lover, he was motivated to found Sound on Sound after growing up in Connecticut and observing that “There was never a real music festival in Connecticut.” He says, “It was always a goal of mine to build [one].”
Wolowitz explained how supporting local artists was extremely important to him in building the setlist this year. “John Mayer grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sammy Rae is from Connecticut. Every year, we save some of our first spots for local Connecticut bands and students from the Berklee School of Music in Boston. We always support young artists.” Wolowitz noted that he is particularly excited to see Steel Pulse. He said, “They’re a legendary reggae band that I’m not sure a lot of people in Connecticut have seen live.”
Governor of Connecticut Ned Lamont praised the festival saying, “This amazing line up is just one more thing that makes it clear, Connecticut is the place to be, not just to live and work. You can enjoy everything from great State Parks to incredible music.”
The first year of Sound on Sound in 2022 featured Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. Now, these artists are some of the biggest names in music, but one year ago, they weren’t even headlining the event. Wolowitz said, “That’s why festivals are so great. Over the years, you can see artists grow from club acts to arena acts or stadium acts. In the meantime, a festival can help support them.”
“Instead of a focus on pop and hip hop, you won’t necessarily see a lot of that at Sound on Sound,” he said when asked what makes Sound on Sound distinct from other music festivals. “It’s also about the experience at the show.” At Sound on Sound, Wolowitz intentionally capped the audience at 30,000 in order to make the environment more relaxed. “Sound on Sound is definitely still a party, but it’s also more comfortable,” Wolowitz told me as he explained the single-stage aspect of the festival. “We’re going to have a round table stage with only one artist playing at a time, so people know where to go to see the music. Audience members will be able to see as many of the artists as they want.”
Between sets, audience members can enjoy food and drink from over 40 different vendors from both Fairfield County and the greater New England area. There will also be a ferris wheel, a sports hall, and a wine grove.
Just an hour away from Connecticut College’s campus by train, the two-day festival is a convenient commute for Conn students whether they want to attend one day or both. Concerts will begin at noon on Saturday September 30th with local bands leading up to the headlining events in the evening.
