Traditionally, UCSD’s campus is known to be empty Halloween weekend, with students either leaving for parties off campus or travelling to other schools for parties.
Penultimate act Living Legends drew an energetic crowd at the first ever joint college festival, “Warren and Revelle Rock PC Plaza.” They performed along with Grand Ole Party, The Donkeys and headlining trio Nada Surf.
On Oct. 27, however, the university’s first joint college festival, Revelle and Warren Rock PC Plaza, hosted activities on Library Walk all day and held a highly anticipated concert featuring four bands. The lineup was a diverse mix that included two local bands, Grand Ole Party and The Donkeys, as well as underground hip-hop group Living Legends and the headliners Nada Surf.
“We made it a priority to support local San Diego bands,” Revelle College Sophomore Senator Sarah Chang said. “But we also wanted to have a diverse selection of music to get people to come out.”
While the local and lesser-known Grand Ole Party and The Donkeys drew only a scant crowd, Living Legends attracted an intense following later in the show.
“[Living Legends] was definitely a highlight of the night,” Chang said.
“When I turn around again, I want you all to make some noise,” Living Legends’ MC said to a sluggish crowd with his back turned. His challenge was met when the crowd roared their approval.
“The atmosphere was decidedly high after the Living Legends played,” John Muir College sophomore Brian Wang said.
Turnout increased rapidly with the announcement of Nada Surf, as 1,500 to 1,600 people filed into Price Center, according to Chang.
Although turnout still was not at full capacity, “everyone who was there really wanted to be there,” Muir sophomore Rachael Roberts said.
The indie-rock band started the show with the short acoustic “Blizzard of ‘77” to the crooning vocals of lead singer Matthew Caws.
Bassist Daniel Lorca had to ask for the lights to be turned off repeatedly throughout the concert because they were shining in his eyes. However, the trio made up for the distractions by interacting with the crowd, even requesting a short dance step during the mellow “Inside of Love.”
Crowd participation peaked when Caws asked the audience to sing along to the lyrics, “Meow, meow, meow / I’m a little kitten.” The sound of meowing, a thousand voices strong, permeated Price Center and produced plenty of laughs while maintaining the hype for the second half of the show.
In addition to the nighttime concert, the festival was a full-day event, similar to other festivals such as Muirstock and Marshallpalooza. But unlike individual college festivals, Chang said, Revelle and Warren had a combined budget of $34,000, which supported a free hookah bar, free barbeque for 1,000 people, a caricature artist and pumpkins for volunteers to carve. Although some games, such as apple bobbing, drew lesser crowds, the pie-eating contest was a hit that gathered a crowd of 50 people within minutes.
The joint college project faced few difficulties regarding cooperation, despite being the first large-scale collaborative event, according to Chang. Because Revelle College had never held a festival before, and Warren had only received its fee referendum to fund such events in 2004, both colleges were eager to host the festival. During the week of the festival, event planners rented out a golf cart to drive around campus blasting Nada Surf in order to promote turnout, Chang said.
“We wanted students to know that they wouldn’t have to go up to Santa Barbara to have a good time this year,” Revelle College Junior Senator Heidi Laidemitt said.
Despite fervent efforts to advertise the festival, turnout was still severely affected by Halloween weekend, according to Chang. However, councilmembers considered the event to be a success and said that they hope to hold it again next year.
