The smell of beer and freshly cooked hamburgers filled the air as girls donning high-waisted shorts and boys in sunglasses danced and sang in Walnut Park during MayFest on Friday.

Students danced to indie pop band Joywave, raved to DJ Pierce Fulton and rhymed along to rapper A$AP Ferg during Syracuse University’s annual MayFest.

Groups of people entered the park at 1 p.m. where they found free food and beer, photo booths, the main stage and a Red Bull truck blasting electronic dance music. Opening act Joywave took the stage around 2:30 p.m., playing their smooth tunes to a small crowd standing at the barricade and passers-by in the park.

The Rochester, N.Y., natives played their eclectic tracks accompanied by a guitar-driven sound to a more hipster crowd. A girl in a flower headband standing next to a boy wearing cat ears pranced around to Joywave’s most popular song, “Tongues.”

Near the end of the set, the band played its more upbeat songs and a larger crowd came to dance before Fulton hit the stage.

“I think it’s more of a mindset,” said Daniel Armbruster, the lead singer of the band, about their sound. “There’s elements of hip-hop. There’s elements of pop. There’s elements of rock, electronic. People pull out what they want to pull out.”

Between sets, Red Bull, MayFest’s official sponsor, played popular dance music for concertgoers to keep the energy high. Fulton then hit the stage with turntables to amp up the crowd with house music, similar to what the crowd may have heard later in the night at Block Party.

Fulton was a last-minute replacement in the MayFest lineup, since DJ and producer AraabMuzik could not make the concert due to “unforeseeable scheduling conflicts,” according to his management.

Mitchell Mason, University Union’s director of public relations, said he preferred Fulton to AraabMuzik regardless, because he felt Fulton fit more of the MayFest and college atmosphere.

Throughout the concert, students enjoyed the warm weather, something MayFest veterans haven’t experienced in a while. Two years ago it snowed on the outdoor festival, and last year the forecast called for rain.

“I think it’s cool that all at one time everybody’s out on campus and enjoying the nice weather and celebrating the end of the year. This is the best weather in a couple years,” said Erin Castle, a senior nutrition major.

At around 5:15 p.m. A$AP Ferg, MayFest’s headliner, entered the main stage. The smell of marijuana filled the air, and the crowd, energetic and tipsy, screamed and yelled for the rapper.

“MayFest, what the f*ck is poppin’?” asked A$AP Ferg, sporting a Guns N’ Roses hockey jersey.

During A$AP Ferg’s time on stage, the crowd sang along with his lyrics and danced to the beat. Students crowd-surfed and in the middle of his set, the rapper brought a student on stage to show the crowd his own rapping talents.

Freshman economics major Nagelah Chery said she was a fan of A$AP Ferg and enjoyed his set. Chery expressed her excitement for next year’s MayFest while bobbing along to A$AP Ferg’s beat.

“Everyone and every type of person is here,” she said. “They seem really hype. I think it’s a great atmosphere.”

A$AP Ferg pleased the crowd by playing his most notable songs, “Shabba” and “Work.”

When asked if he would ever come back to SU, A$AP Ferg said, “Hell yeah. You see all of these red cups all over the place. That means everyone is partying. I need to be a part of the party.”

Published on April 26, 2014 at 10:01 am

Contact Jackie: jmfrere@syr.edu | @jackie_frere