Milo Frazier, a 22-year-old Romeo, Mich., resident, said he traveled to Lansing to experience Common Ground for the first time because of Tuesday's exciting lineup. 

"I've been listening to Brand New for like seven years and haven't seen them yet," he said. "They're one of those bands I've been listening to since I was a kid. They've kind of grown musically as I've grown in age."

Frazier said he attended Tuesday to see Circa Survive and Say Anything, but does not plan to return for the following days simply because the drive is too long.

Another first-time Common Ground visitor was 26-year-old Owosso, Mich., resident Amelia Bruckman, who also looked forward to seeing Brand New perform live.

Bruckman said she has listened to Brand New for nearly a decade, and has seen them in concert three times. However, she said she still enjoys hearing them live and was glad to have the opportunity to see them again.

Unlike Frazier and Bruckman, Lansing resident Pam Payne is a Common Ground regular. She said she has volunteered at Common Ground "all but two years," or 13 years total.

"I volunteer because I'm a people-watcher," she said. "And it's a good venue too."

Payne said although she had not yet explored the entire festival grounds, there appeared to be a good turnout and the size of the crowd was pretty typical for the first night.

Payne said her favorite part of Common Ground Music Festival is the vastly different selection of bands and artists they bring in each day.

"It's not all country, it's not all rock 'n' roll," she said. "I like the variety they play." 

Along with the variety of artists, the festival also welcomes a variety of visitors. Payne said she has met people from as far away as Canada, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, the East Coast and more.

"Some people schedule vacation around this week," she said. "It draws people from out of town in to see what Lansing has to offer."

Day two

The second day of Lansing's Common Ground Music Festival brought lovers of reggae and rock and roll together for an evening of music and camaraderie. From local artists such as Squirrel Shaped Fish to the alternative rock group, The Violent Femmes, spectators were treated to a variety of genres as the festivities continued. 

"We wanted to attend Common Ground just for an epic, diverse bill," Alex Lagemann, Josh Hallbauer, and Michael Costanzo of the rock and hip-hop trio Radical Something, one of the festival's performers, said in an email. "That's what anyone looks for in a festival — music that is universal to anyone's mood. Some of the bands we grew up listening to are playing."

Other bands, some of which first began recording and touring nearly 50 years ago, also performed at the Wednesday event. 

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their “Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers” album, reggae band The Wailers stopped at Lansing’s Common Ground Music Festival as part of their Legend tour.

This was the band’s first Common Ground appearance, though they have performed in the Lansing area in the past. Their entire 45-minute set was composed of songs from the album, a compilation of hand-selected, classic hits from their days touring as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

The set included hits such as “Is This Love,” “No Woman No Cry” and “Could You be Loved?”.

“It’s hard to say what the most popular song is — it’s one of our most popular albums,” lead vocalist Dwayne Anglin, or Danglin’, said. “It depends on the listener’s reasoning.” 

The Wailers were formed in 1969 by Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and Aston and Carly Barrett. After Waller and Tosh left, the Barrett brothers took on the name "The Wailers" and toured with Marley.

Today, Anglin continues the legacy they started and leads The Wailers on vocals, though the list of people who have performed with the group throughout the years is numerous. 

Anglin said he only wants people to come out and be a part of the performance and sing along to their favorite hits. He added that the festival atmosphere helps bring all different bands and fans together for a good time.