It’s that time of the year again: as the temperature rises, along with anticipation for the summer, students are ready to let loose one last time before the semester ends. This is what makes Mayfest so important. Each year, University Union hosts the annual event where students can spend an afternoon in Walnut Park eating, drinking, playing games and leaving the exam studying for the next day.

After attending Friday’s event, I can personally say that it was another successful year. With food, games, bouncy obstacle courses and artists DJ Orange Calderón, YBN Nahmir and Quinn XCII, hundreds of students filled up the park to celebrate the end of another long school year.

With clear skies and sun, this was a perfect day to celebrate music. In addition to good weather, the food was good, the games were fun and the performances were especially dope.

DJ Orange Calderón is a rising star. She kicked things off with a set that smoothly blended elements of rap, trap soul, electronic and house music. While she was relatively unknown at the start of Mayfest, people in the crowd definitely appreciated her music. She ended her performance having gained a few new fans, myself included. I listened to some of her songs after the event — her potential as an artist is clear and her music is very enjoyable.

YBN Nahmir brought the party to another level. When performing his hit record “Bounce Out With That,” seemingly everyone in the park was jumping around scream-rapping lyrics back to him. As an 18-year-old rapper, YBN has much room for growth. His short catalog already features a few hits and shows his ability to produce good, catchy songs. Fans should expect a project from him soon.

Quinn XCII impressed with his swingy style and jazzy voice. His performance of “Straightjacket” was one of the highlights of the event. I hadn’t heard too many of his songs before Mayfest, but his performance led me to listen to a few songs from his album “The Story of Us.” With well-produced instrumentals, relatable lyrics and that jazzy voice, it’s no wonder he has a rapidly growing fan base.

In addition to the actual Mayfest event, many other student organizations held similar end-of-the-year music events during the day.

The Dominican Student Association hosted their third annual “Punch Fest” on South Campus, where the student organization served food and different flavors of fruit punch. This was a great time to socialize, dance and take in some sun on the lawn. Here they mainly played rap with a few Bachata and R&B songs mixed in.

“Black Castle” is another event hosted on South Campus near the University Village apartments. This event featured great music, free food and ANOTHER BOUNCY HOUSE! Most of the music here was rap with a healthy supply of reggae and dancehall. While I’m not the best dancer, this event was a showcase for the students with the best footwork. It was a great time, listening to music and dancing the day away.

In addition to these events on Main and South campuses, there were other gatherings in nearby off-campus neighborhoods. At one on Euclid Avenue they played a mix of contemporary rap music and pop. At another on Lancaster Avenue, they played electronic music and pop.

The day of Mayfest is a great day for fans of music. Whatever your genre of choice is, there was an event somewhere nearby Friday that was playing music you could vibe to. Whether you have two left feet and no singing talent or you’re an upcoming professional, it’s a day to let go, dance and enjoy the music. Days like this go the show the power of music to connect groups of people to have a good time. I’ll be counting down the days until next year.

Published on April 28, 2018 at 1:27 pm