Daisy Chain Fields: How It United Fans of All Generations

Written by Emma Johnson

Forty-five thousand people traveled from around the world to Irvine, California, on August 29^th for the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, bringing together people from different generations who experienced music and media in very different ways.  Attendees were more than just the music; they were there for the cause. 

Olivia Rodrigo put on Daisy Chain Fields in the vein of Lilith Fair, the 1990s traveling festival featuring only female solo artists and female-led bands. Besides providing sets and music all day, Olivia Rodrigo also raised $2 million, which was donated to 10 different women’s health charities. 

Across Great Balloon Park, festival-goers found giant art activations, including Yoko Ono’s “Wishing Tree,” and human-sized flowers, inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” that provided shade and served as the centerpieces of gathering areas featuring bean bags, blankets, and more laid-back seating options. 

Bridgit Winkler, 33, is not usually in attendance at music festivals, but the cause made her want to be a part of it.

“When I found out my organization was, like, one of the recipients of the donations, because 100% of the proceeds go towards organizations, and then I really, really wanted to go,” said Winkler.

“All of the money is going to great places, and it’s a really good thing for the community, but also you can have fun,” Zoe Diaz, 14, said.

Many attendees noted that the focus on women and women’s healthcare, abortion laws, gender affirming care, and transgender rights created a different environment and community at Daisy Chain Fields compared to others. Even with the toxic online landscape of fan communities, pitting young girls against each other, tearing each other down online over their favorite artists, making others feel like they are less of fans, and taking it too far no matter how silly, attendees found this space more of a safe space than other big-name festivals. 

When asked about the online community for fans, Diaz said, “I feel like a lot of the community is so good and kind and caring, but a lot of it’s also really toxic sometimes.” 

However, this was not the case for Daisy Chain Fields for Diaz. 

“It feels like a really safe, masculine energy here, so that feels good,” Winkler said. “I feel also like everyone’s kind of on the same wavelength. Like, I feel safe, I feel held, I feel seen, and I don’t feel sexualized, which I think is really interesting about it.” Although it was centered around women, there were a number of fathers and other men in attendance supporting the cause. 

Christian Svitak, 51, traveled from San Diego with his wife Trish, 45, and their 13-and 10-year-old daughters, Max and Lucas. Svitak has been attending shows since he was 13, the same age his oldest daughter is now. Svitak said his first festival was the first Lollapalooza in 1991 and said he has seen how these festivals have changed over the years.

“Probably the diversity in age,” Svitak said when asked about what he's noticed that is different about the current surroundings. “When I was going to shows, it was all young people. So it’s interesting to see super young kids and really old people.” The Svitaks have themselves contributed to these differences in festival demographics since their children were babies.

 “We’ve been taking them to shows since they were babies, and the exposure to the culture is so important,” he said. 

The family attended because they are personal friends with one of the bands performing, The Breeders, but for 13-year-old Max, Chappell Roan was more her style. 

For Kim Case, 57, and Heather Benson, 57, Daisy Chain Fields was a place to see how much fan culture has changed since they attended the original Lilith Fair. “I was at Lilith Fair in 1995, and I’m a huge fan of Stevie Nicks and Sarah McLachlan, and I like Olivia Rodrigo, and I appreciate that she’s doing this and supporting Planned Parenthood with all the proceeds,” Case said. 

Benson, however, missed Lilith Fair, and saw Daisy Chain Fields as her opportunity to attend something supporting the same cause, years later. 

“Plus, all of the charitable events and I missed Lilith Fair the first time around, so this is my chance to do it,” Benson said.

Case and Benson also noted how much easier it is for people to experience music, an artist, or a festival now versus 30-plus years ago.

“Back in the day, if you were a fan of a concert, you had to show up at like midnight at the record store at the mall to buy tickets,” Case said. 

“When I was a teenager, you had to be listening to the radio with your tape in the recorder, ready to hit record when a song came on so you could get your favorite songs on a tape,” Benson said. 

Case touched on how streaming services, and with everything being at your fingertips thanks to smartphones and the Internet, music has become more accessible and inclusive. 

“Now you can just casually run into something and show up and consume it,” she said. “You don’t have to know anything about it or be a fan. Really, that makes it more open. There’s nothing better than live music and the energy of people who are happy and dancing and want to be with each other,” Benson said.

Kate Cunningham, 27, talked about the online community, from fan pages to group chats, to the die-hard fans who run HQ accounts for the artists. She explained how she is aware of it but doesn’t engage much, and is more dedicated to the live music side of things. 

“Everybody’s just so open to talking and being cool with each other, and everybody’s so nice. Everybody looks out for each other,” Cunningham said. 

Regardless of their gender or whether they come from different generations, Daisy Chain Fields brought them together. Whether they were finding their favorite artists on TikTok or by listening to the radio, they all share a love for the same things: a music-loving community and a passion for live music.  

Cunningham said, “You know, when people talk about how live music feels like a connection to God, I’m not religious at all, but the feeling that people talk about in church is what I feel when I’m at music festivals or at concerts, that live music and everybody’s singing,” she said. “That’s how I feel too. It’s like a whole experience, spiritual.”