This past Friday, over 6,000 people cramped into Alumni Arena to see if the mixed bag-lineup of R&B/Hip-Hop performers could keep the student body bumping and grinding all night long.
Featuring Styles of Beyond, MIMS, T-Pain and Akon, the show was far more one-note than Spring Fests past, offering UB students a single, specific genre-based concert as opposed to the musically scattered mini-festivals of past.
Yet despite the lack of musical diversity, the Spring Fest crowd was noticeably vast. People from all different backgrounds cheered throughout, bringing Alumni Arena together in a bonding experience. However, some bonded more than others.
"Spring and Fall Fest both attract different crowds," said Sam Giangrande, a sophomore psychology major. "It really depends on what type of music you like. There weren't that many people there in the beginning but it started to fill up."
Not unlike past Spring Fests, the long lines continued to pose an initial problem, though most felt it didn't take away from the overall performance.
"Waiting in line wasn't that bad, we only had to stand for about 45 minutes," said Sarah Schmiddaeuer, a junior biotechnology major.
Styles of Beyond (SoB), an up-and-coming rap group based in and around the San Fernando Valley of California, opened the night. The group started with songs from their 2003 album Megadef. MCs Ryu (Patrick Maginn) and Tak (Takbir Bashir) got the crowd hyped up, rapping while DJ Cheapshot (Colton Raisin Fisher) showed his skills on the turntables.
Their performance lasted about 45 minutes, not a minute too short for most the crowd struggling to get into music they didn't know.
SoB is aware of their relatively unknown nature among their fellow headliners, describing themselves as "a growing group" in the press conferences preceding the show.
"[We] appreciate the strong run versus the overnight success - it helps our music," Ryu said.
MIMS also made an appearance in a pre-show press conference, explaining his struggles and ambitions that run rampant in his music.
"I try to stay humble, but the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. I'm not afraid to put it all on the line," MIMS (a.k.a "Music Is My Savior") said.
The audience was relatively small at first, increasing after SoB finished, the promise MIMS and T-Pain lingering in the air.
"It's so amazing to see so many people here. I'm so excited for the whole entire show. I'm especially looking forward to seeing MIMS," said Drashti Dixit, a sophomore nursing major.
Following along with a few old-school beats, MIMS got the crowd moving, even paying tribute to artist Nastaja by covering her infamous club song "Calabria" with added lyrics to the beat. SA President Peter Grollitsch presented MIMS with a blue and white Bulls football jersey, commemorating his trip to UB.
Unfortunately, most of the energy MIMS brought to the crowd disintegrated in between sets, as wait in between each performer dragged too long.
Thankfully, the crowd responded full-force when T-Pain took the stage. The rapper clearly came to satisfy. While performing hit tracks "Bartender, " "Two Step, " and "I'm in Love with a Stripper," the crowd went wild for the club atmosphere, some even crowd surfing across the packed Alumni Arena floor.
All in all, the opening three acts exceeded the expectations of many who felt the music, popular at dance clubs and frat parties alike, would not hold up in a live forum.
While the openers were entertaining in their own right, there was no hiding the crowd's anxiousness for the headliner, Akon.
The Senegal-born stunner ended Spring Fest with a two hour performance stock-full of hits, ranging from the artist's star-making songs "Lonely" and "Locked Up" to more recent fare like "Mama Africa" and "Don't Matter. "
Good music didn't make up for audience members who were too hot and uncomfortable to stay as the show stretched on into its sixth hour. Akon's performance ended near midnight, not too surprising as the show ended complete with power outage and Akon losing his shoes.
UB students were invited to attend a Spring Fest after-party, hosted by MIMS. The rapper was only there for 20 minutes or so, but the party went on without him.
"The show lived up to its hype. Akon, T-Pain, and MIMS were all spectacular entertainers," said Monica Agrawal, a sophomore psychology major. "You could see the excitement radiate through the crowd."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
