On a spring day nearly a century ago, Igor Stravinsky debuted a work entitled the "Rite of Spring." It caused emotions to run the gambit from utter outrage to barely-cloaked disgust.
Now, 93 years later on a different continent, another spring performance will transpire. Unlike the response Stravinsky stimulated, this event will produce a care-free attitude. In a pan-UPC event, Nameless Field will be overrun April 15 by thousands of students prepared to have a day of raucous, but clean, fun.
"SpringFest is an outdoor festival that UPC creates every year," coordinator Nicole Numbers said. "It's a combination of PK German events, our specials committee, comedy and variety comes in -- so it's an all-UPC effort that we have to bring a free outdoor event to the student body here at U.Va."
This free outdoor event will start at noon and finish at 7 p.m. -- or until the last chord is struck.
All of UPC's committees help to make SpringFest an amalgamation of a carnival atmosphere and an outdoor concert. Throughout the day, Nameless Field will be barely discernable, with the construction of a main stage, a side stage and a 65-foot obstacle course. In addition, there will be free food and tie-dyeing as in years past.
While the reasons for starting SpringFest may be debatable, the reasons for its continuation are not.
"It's a really fun event for people to just hang out during the day, have fun, listen to music, eat for free," Numbers said. "Then it all culminates at the end of the evening with whoever our main acts are."
This year SpringFest will entertain the fancy of fans that enjoy punk rock, country and jazz/hip-hop dance fusions. There are currently three acts on the side stage. Jazz/jam band Elephant Minor, Florida-transplants Chris McCarty Band and UPC's Battle of the Bands winner Sons of Bill will all provide the soundtrack to the day's festivities.
"Some of our songs are serious, you know, a lot of our songs are just kind of fun rocking songs, and I hope, I think, the crowd will probably be into that for something like SpringFest -- you know, be out there to have a good time, because we're out there to have a good time," Sons of Bill band member Sam Wilson said.
If the side stage acts don't entice you, then have no fear, because the main stage features two up and coming acts, DJ Logic and Brand New.
DJ Logic will open this year with his unique mix of hip-hop and jazz. Born in the Bronx, he will release his third album, Zen of Logic, this summer and is touring to promote it. Three summers ago Logic toured with Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, diversifying his fan base. In 2005, he once again went on the road with two more well-known acts, Maroon 5 and John Mayer. This musical globetrotter not only appeals to international audiences with his dance infused jazz rhythms, but he also sets new standards. Logic was the first dj to ever play at a Greenwich Village venue.
Following Logic's credential packed résumé is a band further away in the musical spectrum. Punk/emo group Brand New will headline this year's SpringFest and in their wake will amass a group of die-hards.
"We've actually gotten a really good response from Brand New fans," Numbers said. "I feel like ... their fans are really fanatical. I've been receiving emails everyday, like I got 20 emails yesterday from people commenting about it."
Brand New released their last album in 2003 to great acclaim. Critics hailed the release as a study in maturation, and the band reaped the rewards of their hard work with increased sales and airtime. Without a doubt they have the potential to be the biggest attraction at SpringFest.
"It's kind of ... exciting since they're a pretty popular band," Sam Wilson said about performing in the same venue as Brand New. "I think musically, stylistically, they're pretty different than we are ... but I don't think that'll really be that big of a deal because I think that college students are pretty open minded to a lot of different styles in music."
This open-minded train of thought is what UPC tries to feed year after year.
"Basically our goal is to get a high-energy band because it is an outdoor festival," Numbers said. "And we at PK [German] try to base it off of what type of music have we not brought into U.Va. during the year."
While this music education seems to be a sound staple in the SpringFest lineup, it has only been four years since the concert aspect was added to the festivities. Musical acts were added in an effort to take the festival in a different direction.
Past attendees of SpringFest will note another difference. Due to the construction project to renew the field and add modern utilities, SpringFest will be held at Nameless Field instead of Mad Bowl. The relocation of venues posed another problem for UPC -- scheduling. This year's SpringFest will be held on Easter weekend, a fact that may affect the number of students in attendance.
"It is a concern," said Numbers. "The only weekend that we were able to get Nameless Field was next weekend [April 15]; because of all the tennis tournaments that have been going on we couldn't have the noise. So it is a concern for us because we know that a lot of the student body is not going to be here that normally would be here."
Nevertheless, UPC is confident of a good turnout. The nature of SpringFest is such that come hell or high water, rain or shine, students will still turn out for a day of free food, free music and frivolity.
SpringFest will take place from 12-7 p.m., Saturday, April 15 at Nameless Field. The event is FREE.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
