If you’re cool, or at least know someone with above one thousand Instagram followers, chances are you’re heading to the Meadows — NYC’s biggest, baddest, and boujee-est musical festival of the fall. If not, have no fear. The festival, located in the shadows of Citi Field and Corona Meadows Park, has three days jam-packed with enough music, food, and vibes to satiate your FOMO.
Still not sold? I’ve got that covered, too. Because food rules everything around me, I’ll match you with a Meadow’s headliner based on your favorite food.
1. Cheeseburger: Jay-Z
Ah, yes, burgers. The sandwich of choice for New Yorkers, late night concert goers, and Yankees everywhere. Seeing as Jay is the guy who purportedly made the Yankee cap more famous than a namesake player ever could, I would like to think he approves of this association.
Much like Jay-Z, a juicy cheeseburger represents the intersection of good, old-fashioned patriotism and the future. While now the husband of the greatest performer in the game, Jay still flaunts his humble roots; much like how no matter what kind of fancy cheese you douse a burger in, it still has a timeless essence.
2. Two Door Cinema Club: Milkshake
A cornerstone of the 2000’s indie music scene, Two Door Cinema club has been holding it down thanks to their vibrant instrumentals, fast-paced lyricism, and cool aura. In other words, each song, from the upbeat “Something Good Can Work” to the smoother “Bad Decisions,” is like distilled sunshine.
Milkshakes have the same effect. Regardless of whether you take your shake thick and creamy, piled with whipped cream, or covered in enough toppings to make an entirely new shake, the iconic diner beverage is more than uplifting. It’s summer in a glass cup.
3. 21 Savage: Avocado Toast
21 Savage currently has 8 Ms in his bank account, which means he is probably the only millennial who can simultaneously buy a house and eat avocado toast.
Really though, the 24-year-old rapper has a taste for life’s simplest luxuries: foreign cars, diamond chains, and buying your girl every single designer bag on the market. While most of us haven’t quite entered “Savage mode,” we, too, appreciate some of life’s finer things, like overpriced toast served at a name brand cafe.
4. LL Cool J: Pizza
Ladies love Cool J and I haven’t met a gal who has said no to plain cheese slice, so this one is pretty obvious. A founding father of hip-hop, LL Cool J burst onto the scene with hard-hitting beats, clever word play, and an undeninable sex appeal. Basically, it’s LL Cool J’s world and we’re all just living in it.
If it wasn’t already clear, pizza is the LL Cool J of party foods. Its doughy crust, perfect sauce-to-topping ratio, and drool-worthy cheese pull make it hard to ignore, kind of like our favorite rapper with his shirt off.
6. MIA: Halal
If you live in NYC, your neighborhood halal cart is your bff. It’s there for you whenever you need it, be it after a party, during your Midtown lunch hour, or when you’re desperately craving that “secret red sauce.”
Lucky for you, MIA’s discography will keep you empowered regardless the situation. It’s payday? “Paper Planes” has got you covered. In the mood to smash the patriarchy? Let “Bad Girls” be your soundtrack. In other words, MIA’s eclectic genre-bending style will satisfy all of your cravings, just like a take-out container of rice, pita, and halal meat.
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Nachos
Say what you may about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but chances are you still sing “Californication” in the shower. (I won’t judge.) Either way, their angsty lyrics and ambient guitar solos are unavoidable, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Similarly, nachos proliferate menus at Mexican restaurants, trendy bars (and not-so-trendy bars), sporting events, and oddly enough, fast food chains. While some nachos may be low on the guac and high on chips, there’s one thing you can’t deny: they’re still one of the best dishes around.
7. Weezer: Garbage Plate
Okay, fine, maybe you aren’t from upstate New York and have never stepped foot in Nick Tahou Hots, the birthplace of the garbage plate. But, chances are you’ve had a hangover cure drenched in all the carbs, grease, and cheese the eye can see. That’s basically the same thing.
I say this with as much affection as possible, but Weezer is a musical garbage plate. Their offbeat not-quite-punk-or-rock-or-pop sound shouldn’t work, yet somehow does. Seeing them live is like receiving the greasiest hug, kind of like eating a plate of tater tots and mac’n’cheese.
So no matter what your ears or mouth are craving, the Meadows will more than satisfy your needs.