Fiasco was the intended main event. The multicolored stage lights and prolonged introduction proved that. But with strong, borderline-chaotic sets from Passion Pit, Super Mash Bros. and Mouth’s Cradle, the 2010 Juice Jam Festival was more than just a one-man show.

 

‘Them alone would have made for a good concert,’ said Brandt Hale, a freshman television, radio and film major. 

 

In a concert that seemed more like a house party, the three bands were an untamed force, with students acting like they were in a Euclid Avenue basement instead of rocking out on Skytop Field. The only thing missing was the keg.

 

‘It was one big dance party,’ said Imani Folkes, a senior public relations major.

 

Mouth’s Cradle was the first to take the stage. The SU student band captured only a small audience, but singer Kevin Hegedus’s eccentric stage performance, filled with hopping, thumping and Pokémon songs, piqued enough student interest. Call it the audience’s pregame.

 

After a short transition, mash-up group Super Mash Bros. corralled audience members to form a tight-knit, yet sprawling mob. Mixing together countless artists and songs from their bumper sticker-adorned laptops, spectators flocked to the stage. And that’s where things got crazy.

 

Moving frantically to the nonstop music, people started to forget how overcast and windy it was. Sweat poured down students’ faces as they jumped, grinded and crowd surfed in front of the performers. Combining the work of Fatboy Slim and the theme song from ‘Friends,’ Super Mash Bros. led the crowd with a diverse set. As any good party host should, they even dedicated a song to partygoers: a mash up of ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ and ‘Right Thurr.’ 

 

‘Have fun, frat boys,’ said band member Dick Fink.

 

‘They were just so good,’ said freshman aquatic and fishery sciences major Anna Zabirova. ‘I think they just gained a huge fan base.’

 

Like any good Comstock Avenue party, there was even a fight. Well, kind of. Near the end of their 50-minute set, Fink and fellow member Nicolas Fenmore held a mash-up battle to see who could best remix the ‘Space Jam’ theme song. Trading musical blows, Fink and Fenmore tried to out-mix one another. When asking the crowd who had the better remix, there was no clear answer. It didn’t matter — everyone was having too much fun interacting with the performers.

 

A long wait between Super Mash Bros. and Passion Pit brought the festivities to a lull. Trying to contain the rowdy crowd, University Union President Andrew Beyda asked audience members to refrain from throwing objects on stage and crowd surfing. The words went in one ear and out the other. 

 

Finally, Passion Pit took the stage. Starting off with a few slower songs, the synth-pop band kept the borderline stagnant pace. It was beginning to look more like a concert than the house party the festival had become. Then suddenly, an orange Frisbee was thrown directly on stage, nearly hitting guitarist Ian Hultquist in the face. 

 

The party was back on.

 

As if on cue, dozens of students began crowd surfing, gaining excitement with each song. At times, there were more than five students surfing simultaneously. Arms flailed and shoes were flung. Looking at the scene in front of them, the band could not help but laugh at how wild the crowd had become.

 

Some students enjoyed the numerous flailing bodies being passed. However, others were not so pleased. 

‘We dropped five people,’ said senior marketing major Carlin Reilly, who was with five of her friends. ‘We were trying to enjoy Passion Pit, but people were falling on us.’

 

While Passion Pit had been playing for nearly an hour and were getting ready to exit, a question lingered in nearly every person’s mind: Where was the band’s most recognizable song, ‘Sleepyhead?’ As lead singer Michael Angelakos commanded, ‘Syracuse, make some noise!’ the familiar intro rang out, and the crowd erupted. 

 

Just when it looked like this bash was going to end on a high note, Passion Pit decided an after party was in order. As an encore, the band played ‘Little Secrets,’ which sent the crowd into a frenzy once again. People were lifted into the air once more as Passion Pit went out in style, blaring the popular song before finally taking their leave.

 

Scattered cups, bottles and trash littered the stage area while students sat down to catch a breath. Lupe Fiasco’s crew had not even begun setting up, but the evidence was everywhere. The party did not arrive withLupe Fiasco, it was waiting for him.  

 

‘It wasn’t just one big act,’ said senior industrial design major Annie Ryan. ‘It felt like it was two different concerts.’

 

ansteinb@syr.edu