Mix Juxtaposse, Finger Eleven, Guster, Jason Mraz and The Roots and you have the perfect combination for Spring Fest.
Following a day of carnival rides, games and free food under a cloudless blue sky, students were treated to an evening of ear candy Sunday at Alumni Arena.
The venue first came to life with Juxtaposse, the winner of the Student Association's Battle of the Bands. Their rock/reggae, brass-infused mix got hands rising and brought some "Sloppy Funky Fun," fittingly the name of one of their tracks.
"They played their rock, with the brass, doing it with heart and spirit," said Jason Smith, an environmental engineer.
With a disclaimer of "Warning: the following will rock every bone in your body," Finger Eleven hit it off hard and set the head bangers in the house into a frenzy.
"Finger Eleven was really a lot of fun," said psychology major Kate Homer.
The band had their rock act down pat, and rock out they did.
Following Finger Eleven was Guster, who also put on a strong set ?? they were by far the most anticipated band at Spring Fest. It really got the crowd moving, as surfers emerged from the crowd numerous times.
"It was so amazing. It rocked so much. I love Guster," said Anne Gullotti, an art history and classics major.
It was during the band's song "Brazil" that it really showed how much everyone truly loved Guster.
Their closing song was slower, but it got the whole crowd swaying their cell phones in the air, with the occasional lighter popping up.
Jason Mraz, Mr. A-Z., got all the ladies in the house screaming chants of "He's so hot!" and "We love you!"
"Hey there UB, BU. Which is it?," Mraz asked as he tried to welcome the people to the show. It set off arena full of boos at first, but that quickly subsided with ooh's and screams as he went in to his next song.
His charisma seemed to shine as everyone went nuts. His moves were also fabulous as he danced around while he played his guitar and sang.
A crowd favorite was "Cannabis College," which talks about getting through college on a habit that really seemed to resonate with the crowd.
His closing song "The Remedy" had the entire place singing along. It is by far is most popular single, and really sealed the deal.
Last band of the night was The Roots, who yielded a great turnout. Their hip-hop and underlying tones of rock really work well together, and they were able to keep everyone on their feet and dancing even after a packed evening of music.
This year's Spring Fest, presented by SA, was a raving success. The different genres and events offered something for everyone, putting a pleasant cap on the school year.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
