Re:SET Bay Area at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater was my first mini-festival—and it was only about two miles from home! The open-air bowl was packed with thousands of people spread out across the grass, all there for four sets: Bartees Strange, Dijon, Clairo, and boygenius. I’m a longtime boygenius (and Phoebe Bridgers) fan, so I was basically vibrating with excitement before they even went on.
It was also the first concert where I picked the bands myself, which made it feel extra personal. The atmosphere at Frost—trees, summer light, and a stage that seems to float—made it easy to just be in the music.
Clairo’s set won me over right away. She has this quiet, shy vibe on stage, but the songs land big in a crowd. When she played “4EVER” and “Amoeba,” the whole place lit up—people stood, danced, and sang along like it was a shared secret we all knew. It felt intimate even with thousands of people around.
Boygenius closed the night and turned it into a full-body goosebumps moment. They opened with an a cappella harmony offstage and then ran through favorites—“Emily I’m Sorry,” “True Blue,” “Cool About It,” “Me & My Dog,” and “Not Strong Enough”—each one building the energy higher. I love how Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus blend; their voices lock together in a way that feels both delicate and huge at the same time.
Bartees Strange and Dijon added a lot to the day’s arc—Bartees with sharp, guitar-driven dynamics and Dijon with a loose, soulful set that made the amphitheater feel like a big backyard. As a whole, the lineup flowed surprisingly well for a single-day festival.