What’s not to love about local artists, Pie pizza, mouthwatering mini Art City donuts and free henna tattoos? The U’s 2015 Redfest had all of that and more.
There were only a few clusters of people wandering between tables sponsored by ASUU and other groups, buying food and looking through the jewelry options, when the gates opened at 6 p.m. Part of that may have been a result of the annoyingly hidden entrances into the fence-enclosed area set aside for the event. Whatever the cause of the slow start, larger crowds had begun to gather by 7 p.m., around the time Redfest’s first band, Larusso, started to perform.
Despite ASUU’s initial booking mess-up, which cost a sum total of $7,500, Redfest managed to present a respectable concert line-up. Four bands performed, each diverse in style and gender ratios, including one all-female band. All in all, this year’s Redfest did well to incorporate local talent, especially since there is so much in the area to draw from. Larusso, Static Waves, Blue Aces and House of Lewis all presented a respectable range of styles and gave listeners a chance to try something new without having to travel too far.
Larusso’s rock-style performance was energetic and fun to listen to, though the between-song dialogue felt painful and forced, making the group seem more like novices to the art of stage performing. Static Waves, the second band on the line-up, seemed a lot more comfortable standing in front of a live audience. Their vocalist managed to get most of the audience on their feet before the band had even hit a note, and few of those who stood up ever sat back down. Static Waves’ indie-rock music was lively and incredibly catchy. Their song “Prisoners” was the kind of song that stays in your head for hours even if you’ve only heard it only once.
Both of the first groups included only male band members, so it was refreshing to see that the third band, Blue Aces, was made up solely of women. The music they produced showed a marked difference from the bands before them and fit more into the punk-rock genre. Their songs seemed more energetic and exciting as well as closer to the yelling style many have come to associate with rock music. Last, but not least, the hip-hop band House of Lewis, another all-male band, concluded the line-up. House of Lewis touted a sound defined by strong beats that could be felt reverberating through the crowd.
If Redfest was this good on the all-time low budget of $71,000, one can only imagine how much potential spring’s two-day concert has.