So Redfest wasn’t a total bust. Some people showed up. The night of Flogging Molly the crowd almost matched that of the Grand Kerfuffle, and the Ataris were lucky to get the few stragglers who opted for two-night tickets.
The bulk of the crowd consisted of non-students or students from other universities, and the U students who were there seemed largely unenthused (except for those ASUU zealots).
“I enjoyed Flogging Molly,” said Vance Roy, freshman in history. “I don’t listen to the Ataris. I just came because it wasn’t too much more for tickets to both nights.”
“It was so lame,” said Shanna Jones, junior in biology. “I was on campus to take an exam, and then I came out and heard it. So I wandered up, but then I was just like, ‘Naaaah’. The closer I got, the more I wanted to get back to my car.”
But some students liked it-though not necessarily U students.
Kelly Hightower, a sophomore in health from UVSC, said, “I am off-the-hook excited!”
His brother Chris, a pre-med junior from BYU, said, “We’re way excited to see the Ataris. That’s pretty much why we’re here.”
“I like (Redfest)-it’s all right,” said Ashley Lopez, a student in deaf education from Utah State.
Flogging Molly got the crowd fairly riled up on Thursday night, but the Ataris had a harder time getting as much enthusiasm on Friday. And the latent ethnocentrism John Collura displayed in his interview last week resurfaced when lead singer Kris Roe said, “We were just in South America-it’s good to get back to stuff we’re more familiar with.”
Apparently they really don’t like to leave the country. That might be a problem if you want to be international superstars, dudes.
Lennie MahlerFlogging Molly bassist Nathen Maxwell swings his guitar during their performance of “Selfish Man” at Redfest on Thursday night.
Mike TerryThe Ataris’ guitarist John Collura performs during Friday’s Redfest concert.
Lennie MahlerCrowds of students and other Flogging Molly fans pack into the Union Free Speech Area on Thursday to hear the band play at Redfest 2006.