I have never been to a Fall Fest. And thanks to this year's nauseating lineup, I never will.
Freshman year, I was out of town during Fall Fest, but the headliners were fantastic. Talented performers like Nas and Ludacris balanced out a blast from the '80s' hip-hop past with musicians like Biz Markie, Slick Rick and KRS-One.
Sophomore year I was stranded on South Campus waiting to catch a bus back to North. I stood at the bus stop for three hours as piles of students pushed onto the UB stampede to see the show – Busta Rhymes, Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Jadakiss.
Junior year, the musicians chosen were a little disappointing but not too terrible. It was the typical top 100 Billboards pop musicians that everyone can hum a tune to. But I wasn't going to torture myself and drown in a sea of screaming girls waiting for Jason Mraz to wink at them or for Bruno Mars to blow them a kiss.
This year, the lineup is absolutely horrendous. The Fray? What is this, Fall Fest 2005? At least the artists headlining in the concerts in the past were somewhat contemporary.
As it is my last fall here at UB, I was looking forward to attending my very first Fall Fest, and the survey that was sent out during the summer made me think we'd have a promising collection of musicians.
Vampire Weekend, Chiddy Bang, Taking Back Sunday, Death Cab for Cutie, Girl Talk, Snoop Dogg, MGMT, and The Black Keys just to name a few.
The survey's list was gold.
The possibility of having a creative combination of incredible musicians was exciting and I was really looking forward to what SA was going to pull together. But little did I know that the band I wanted to see the least would become the main name for this year.
Compared to the explosive performances in the past, it's a weird choice to bring this mellow pop-rock band to headline for the most anticipated fall event at UB. How is a band that some critics consider "emo" going to pump up a crowd?
Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to put down The Fray or the people who enjoy its music. Everyone has the freedom to listen to whomever they please. But Fall Fest should appeal to the masses.
If you're watching a romantic comedy and The Fray's hit single "Over My Head" is streaming in the background, you'll get more than enough to satisfy your inner 13-year-old girl. In the meantime, SA shouldn't be using our money to bring outdated musicians for Fall Fest.
Email: akari.iburi@ubspectrum.com
