No matter where you spent your summer months, the increase in concerts, arts festivals and movie…

C. Taylor Crothers / Bonnaroo

Donald Glover rocks on stage as his alter ego, Childish Gambino

No matter where you spent your summer months, the increase in concerts, arts festivals and movie releases likely kept things entertaining. Summer break always plays host to a hearty variety of pop-culture events, and without constant homework assignments it’s easier to take advantage of these recreations.

Having attended events both on the other side of the Atlantic and throughout the nation, the Arts and Entertainment writers of The Pitt News compiled a list of some of their favorite summer entertainment by writing about how these experiences stood out from the rest. Spanning from music festivals to Rollerblading, this list of attractions demonstrates that your geographic location in the summer isn’t likely to limit your enjoyment.

Andrew Gretchko

Childish Gambino

Pittsburgh hosted more than its fair share of concerts this summer, but of all the rock stars and rappers to come through the city, Georgia’s Childish Gambino put on the best show.

Donald Glover, the actor-comedian-rapper behind the extra-hype lyrics of Childish Gambino, came to Pittsburgh on a mission. Touting a live band, Childish made good on the promise of his Camp tour, playing the majority of his album Camp for fans at Stage AE, many of whom arrived hours before the sold-out show on June 18.

While opening act Danny Brown might not have lived up to the audience’s expectations, Childish maintained his reputation as a “mastermind” as he performed hits such as “Freaks and Geeks” while dashing back and forth across the stage.

In an attempt to challenge the longtime hype king Busta Rhymes, Childish not only jumped to the beat of each song, but also rapped his lyrics directly into the faces of crowd members.

As a creative genius, Childish didn’t disappoint, ending the show with a freestyle rap over “Rack City” and providing sneak-peeks of some of his latest work, which was released on the mixtape “Royalty” in July.

The show’s only downside was that, eventually, the fun had to come to an end. When the stage went dark and the lights over the audience flickered to life, the crowd moaned, not yet ready to give up hope that Childish Gambino would return to the stage for one more encore, putting the speakers of the two-year-old concert hall to the test.

Childish Gambino’s name may be the product of an online rap-name generator, but Donald Glover’s concerts are impossible to recreate. His energy and crowd control are top-notch, and fans that come for a taste of his lyrical prowess leave anything but disappointed.

The next time Childish comes to Pittsburgh, do yourself a favor and get a ticket.

Quinn Keaney

Coldplay

I saw Coldplay in concert this June while bopping around London for the summer (tough life, I know). While I’m not the biggest Coldplay fan in the world, it’s tough not to get totally wrapped up in the band’s shows, which are less concerts and more experiences.

With a 60,000-strong stadium audience waiting in the rain, Coldplay burst onto the stage with a dazzling visual display. The show’s production value was lavish, to say the least. Five massive circular video screens, an army of rockets and confetti cannons, giant beach balls painted like the globe and blinking wristbands on every audience member that flashed multi-colored lights in time to the music all played a part in transforming the entire stadium into a Technicolor light show.

Chris Martin, the band’s lead singer, threw himself around the stage almost giddily as the confetti cannons rained down pastel cutouts of hearts, butterflies and triangles, further encouraging the drunken Frenchman wearing a Chris Martin mask next to me to dance his heart out.

Still, Coldplay managed breezily to get through its professional 100-minute set, complete with almost two dozen songs, additional special effects (an elaborate laser light show) and guest appearances (Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead played harmonica).

The band opened the show with the title track of its latest album, Mylo Xyloto, and quickly moved on to more popular fan-favorites such as “Yellow,” “The Scientist” and “Viva la Vida.” Coldplay-philes throughout the crowd were more than satisfied when the band ventured into its more obscure songbook, including a performance of “Lovers in Japan.”

As the band closed out its performance with a large fireworks display, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment and dance just as exuberantly as the Chris Martin-masked man next to me.

Emma Kilcup

Bonnaroo

From June 7 to 10, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish and The Beach Boys were hanging out at a farm in Manchester, Tenn.

“Hanging out” may not be a good enough description.

Really, they were rocking out, along with about 150 other artists and approximately 60,000 music fans. While the love of music, camping and wonderful hippie activities brought this large group together, it was all made possible by the 11th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Other music festivals, such as Coachella, have been tainted by celebrity fashion, but Bonnaroo has remained dirty and perfectly filled with groups of flower children. By the fourth day, everyone had a layer of dust covering their skin, giving them a nice tan made permanent by the consistent sweat that was inescapable after hours under a tent with hundreds of equally dirty, equally committed fans.

This year’s line-up attracted fans of Ludacris, Skrillex and Phish. People traveled from places as far away as France and China to see Bon Iver croon and Radiohead show off.

With such a variety of concerts to fit in the time span of four days, the trivial Bonnaroo dilemmas become legitimate. This year, fans had to choose between seeing The Shins, Young the Giant, Fun. or The Civil Wars, who all performed during the same time slot.

Fans had to consider the distance between the stages and the obstacle course that the massive crowds created while choosing their shows and planning to fit more than one into a single time slot.

Though I had to make some hard decisions because of the overlapping concert times, I had to remember that it was rare to have this many solid artists at one event. And what I remember most about Bonnaroo are the moments of music magic:  Dispatch following its concert with an announcement that its members are getting back together, stumbling upon a surprise performance by Feist and running through the Avett Brothers crowd to hear every banjo strum of the last song. Because that’s what it’s all about: the music.

Jonathan Shakesprere

Pitchfork Music Festival

Chicago’s Union Park was transformed into a walking Urban Outfitters catalog this summer as emerging indie, electronic and hip-hop artists attracted thousands to the online blog’s eighth annual Pitchfork Music Festival. Running the gamut from A$AP Rocky’s “Peso” to Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma,” the music, art and film festival preserved a balance between multiple genres and popular artists, all while maintaining relatively low ticket costs.

Friday served as a showcase of rising underground stars, combining the smooth soundscapes of Feist and Tim Hecker, willful crooning of Willis Earl Beal and the raucous, anthemic offerings of BIG K.R.I.T. as a fitting opening to the much-anticipated festival. Performances ranging in style from live instrumentation to laptop-powered raves brought out music lovers and critics alike as self expression and entertainment morphed into one appealing media product.

Rain and humidity dominated the weekend, forcing concert-goers to seek cover during the sets of Sleigh Bells and Grimes, among others. Nevertheless, the damp conditions on Saturday — the only sold-out day — could not hinder the standout performances by Wild Flag and Danny Brown. Hot Chip’s synth-driven dance-pop left crowds up and on their feet at the end of the day, clamoring for Sunday’s inclusion of more alternative and pop offerings.

The final day played host to AraabMuzik, Beach House, Vampire Weekend and Kendrick Lamar — along with Lady Gaga. Rock defined Sunday: Ty Segall Band, Milk Music and The Men restored their audiences’ garage and rock ’n’ roll expectations with definitive performances that contrasted decidedly with the previous day’s sensual experimentation.

A fitting conclusion, though, to one of the nation’s most “hipster” music offerings was Vampire Weekend, returning from a hiatus to perform new material, plus a generous helping of old hits including “Mansard Roof” and “A-Punk.”

Fulfilling more than enough of the hype surrounding its highly regarded brand, Pitchfork Music Festival will attract more artists and larger crowds come next July.

Rebecca Burns

Skating

Saturdays have consisted of early-morning blading sessions for my friend Shell and I this summer. Being from the flat plains of Colorado, I am still getting accustomed to the rolling hills and manifold potholes in Pittsburgh.

Shell skates around like a figure from the roller-derby movie “Whip It,” while I scream while going down 10-percent-grade hills. But this summer, it has become my goal to master the smooth hills of the North Shore, where we have kept our morning skate ritual.

Skating on the trail surrounding the North Shore in the mornings reminds me of how much I love Pittsburgh. The cityscape is spectacular, with smooth water rushing beneath the bridges and the building windows sparkling the sun’s reflection. There are runners, walkers, bikers and people lining up for kayaking in the rivers. It is always full of activity.

Now that summer is coming to an end, the Rollerblades will soon find their designated spot in the dusty closet of my laundry room — my goal of conquering those hills came slower than I hoped.

I still let out a little scream and occasionally veer off into the soft grass to slow myself down, but I am getting closer. Clad in wrist guards, a helmet and kneepads — all necessary — I am still trying, and the best part is that I am enjoying the beautiful summer mornings Pittsburgh offers.

Anna Weldon

“The Dark Knight Rises”

When the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy came to a dramatic end this July, Pittsburghers didn’t just watch their favorite actors duke it out on screen: They watched Heinz Field fall apart under the football players’ feet, Mellon Institute turn into a battleground and the villain Bane take over their beloved city.

But with every computer-generated hit the city took for the sake of movie magic in Nolan’s masterpiece, residents fell even more in love with the rivers, bridges and buildings. As a local, seeing “The Dark Knight Rises” on the big screen developed into something more than just attending a premiere. Pittsburghers aren’t accustomed to seeing the familiar sights blown up in front of their faces. Pittsburgh is not an over-filmed city, so its 15 minutes — or two hours and 45 minutes — of fame sent audiences into a fit of applause at the sight of every familiar set.

Opening night brought the characters off the big screen and into the theater with many movie-goers dressed in Batman, Catwoman or Bane costumes. There were even a few villains resurrected from past installments, including the Joker and Two-Face. The disguises created an energized, child-like atmosphere that other viewers soaked in while anticipating the film.

But the excitement for the film resonated throughout the theater even without the accompaniment of the characters. Locals seemed especially excited to see “The Dark Knight Rises,” and even after the lengthy film ended, audience members still had the energy and enthusiasm that they had at the beginning of the film.

Nolan’s final heartbeat to the Batman trilogy left an impression on the world, but for Pittsburgh, this film was personal.