The students’ faith in the A.S. programming office was restored Friday as Ping Pong Mafia, Naughty by Nature, Face to Face and XZibit took the stage for this year’s Sun God Festival at RIMAC Field.
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“”This show was twice as good as Sun God was last year,”” said Revelle junior Jennifer Thompson. “”Unlike last time, I didn’t have to find the CDs of the bands that were playing in the oldies section of the music store.””
Co-Festivals Coordinator Scott Mantell said this year’s Sun God drew 12,000 individuals, representing a clear increase over last year.
“”Man, I knew there would be more people this year than there were last year,”” said Marshall sophomore Scott Corban. “”But I never thought I would have to wait in such a long line for a show.””
According to Co-Festivals Coordinator Priya Mohan, the large attendance was due in part to the wide range of people that the show catered to.
“”There was just something for everybody this time,”” she said. “”You have got your punk rock, your hip-hop with Naughty by Nature, your real rap with XZibit, and then you have your chant with Electronico dance. We tried to make everybody happy this year and I hope that actually happened.””
Many of the 12,000 in attendance said that the headliner XZibit lived up to the expectations that were placed upon him after his “”Restless”” album went double platinum.
“”XZibit was awesome,”” said Muir sophomore Robert Buckley. “”And the fact that many students here at UCSD can relate to what he is rapping about only makes him that much better.””
Members of the A.S. Programming staff said that XZibit became a popular replacement for Sun God once Lenny Kravitz refused to play for the $100,000 offered to him earlier this month.
“”I thought XZibit was awesome because in underground rap, he gets a lot of respect,”” said Spencer Yee, Warren College representative to the A.S festivals committee. “”In the mainstream he is also big-time.””
XZibit played for about 45 minutes in the rain after his set started at 10:30 p.m.
While the crowd was dancing midway through XZibit’s performance, some fans in front by the stage began pushing people behind them, thereby triggering a massive domino effect that caused about 150 individuals in attendance to fall over.
“”People were pushing and the center gave way,”” said Gabe Grossman, Muir representative to the festivals committee. “”Everyone just kind of fell in there. People were just getting crushed and everything collapsed.””
Mantell praised XZibit for what he told the crowd concerning the pushing issue, which ensured that it would not happen again.
“”XZibit was a total class act by saying ‘let’s all just help each other out and don’t push and enjoy yourself,”” Mantell said. “”These are kind of class acts for what he is doing and what he is about.””
Mantell said that Naughty by Nature helped pick up the fence once it fell over as they were watching XZibit’s performance on the side of the stage.
Face to Face played third in the show right before XZibit. Mohan said that they too put on a show worthy of applause.
“”Face to Face obviously has a big following,”” she said. “”And they are not sell-out punk like Blink 182. It is real and credible.””
Students who only came to hear the rap music were surprised by what they heard with Face to Face.
“”Before I got here, I only knew that Face to Face was the band that was playing between Naughty by Nature and XZibit,”” Thompson said. “”But I am glad that I got to hear them play today because otherwise I never would have listened to their music, and I really liked it.””
Naughty by Nature provided similar enjoyment for their fans.
“”Ever since ‘Hip Hop Hooray,’ like, seven years ago, I have loved these guys,”” said Warren freshman Jeff Yee. “”They may be old-school, but they still put on a good show.””
Members of the band reciprocated these feelings of praise to the fans who came to watch their performance at 7:50 p.m.
“”We anticipated a good crowd, but it is great to see when you finally get there and it all comes together,”” said lead lyricist Vinne. The show was off the hook and the kids had a lot of energy out there.””
As a result of such support, Vinne said the show reached its full potential.
“”We have been performing for a long time so even if the crowd is dead, we’ll just act like we are out there doing a dress rehearsal or something,”” he said. “”But when the crowd is totally into it, it brings the show to a whole new level.””
Ping Pong Mafia, the winners of UCSD’s Battle of the Bands, was the first band to take the stage.
People who came to see them said their performance at Sun God was a clear indication of why they were the chosen winners at the Battle of the Bands.
“”Personally, I liked their stuff,”” said Muir junior John Fontana. “”For a UCSD band, they really surprised me.””
Members of the DJs and Vinylephiles Club were spinning in a second tent from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.
In addition to the bands playing at night, members from student organizations set up booths and sold food, drinks and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Sun God lawn and Library Walk.
The success of this year’s Sun God, however, was due in part to luck, according to Mohan.
“”It is the same reasons last year that we got Dishwalla”” she said. “”It is just because of artists’ availability. We got kind of lucky this time, I guess — that’s all. You always try your hardest but sometimes things don’t happen for various reasons. Some of them are for money, but some of them are availability and that sort of thing. You never know.””
