Stony Brook University welcomed a diverse set of performers for this year’s annual Brookfest concert.
All was quiet at a quarter to one as the line of students waiting to get into Brookfest stretched down the SAC parking lot towards the physics building. Students had barely entered the SAC parking lot, aka the concert venue, when student performer, Lou.E, kicked off the show. Although students were still settling in during Lou.E’s set, by the time Christopher Chan came on stage, the crowd was hyped. Students became more involved, singing along as Chris taught them the chorus to some of his songs.
Next to take the stage was DJ Alison Wonderland, who was welcomed by chanting fans, smoke machines, and a unique video system. This video system took video of not only the DJ but of the audience as well, delaying it slightly and adding rainbow colored effects to which one student described as “trippy.” The DJ shook the crowd with her beat drops as the ravers in the crowd raved away. Alison Wonderland ended her set with advice to get through depression. “If you’re ever feeling down, it will get better,” she said.
As the ravers took a break from the crowd, Joey Bada$$ fans made their way to the front. As Joey’s crew pulled up in the vans from the Hilton Hotel, the crowd began to chant his name. The Pro Era crew made their way on stage as Joey prepared for his performance backstage. Day one fans went wild as he performed songs from his first album, 1999, and his newest album, ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Joey gave a shoutout to his day ones and created two mosh pits and got the crowd wild. He even said, “if you got a spliff, smoke it. We’re outside, we should be good,” drawing laughs from the crowd. Joey ended his set with a double encore of his new hit song, Devastated, in which he jumped into the crowd and took a video for his Instagram story.
Many Bada$$ fans left the crowd as Joe Jonas fans pushed to get ready for the headliner, DNCE.
DNCE entered the stage with their signature Star Wars theme complete with Darth Vadar helmets and lightsabers. That entrance was something that came about when the band was having fun, joking around and wondered what would happen if they came out to StarWars, according to band member JinJoo. The energy in the crowd soared as they broke out in cheers.
DNCE sang fan favorites such as “Cake by the Ocean”, “Good Day” and their new single “Kissing Strangers.” They also sang 1990-2000s throwback melodies consisting of the Spice Girls’ “Wanna Be” and “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. Members of DNCE were dancing all over the stage, enjoying the concert as much as the crowd.
Band member Cole Whittle took his shirt off at one point, dangled his head over the stage while playing guitar and ended their set by getting off stage and running around the SAC parking lot. A puzzled Joe Jonas stood there with a “Team DNCE” flag in each hand while Cole entered the stage through the opposite side of the stage from a fenced off area closed to the audience. DNCE rushed quickly offstage into a waiting black van with tinted windows next to the stage.
However, things were not without incident. Someone had thrown up towards the beginning of the concert and those who were lucky enough to be in front were shoved into the barriers when the crowd created mosh pits, causing a slight danger issue in which security did nothing to help those in the front. One person even mentioned how dangerous it was to try and leave the front section. As mentioned earlier, there were smoke machines utilized which were not disclosed to the crowd that caused at least one person to request for medication and sit down. Students in the A section became upset when the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President invited everyone from Section B and C to come to the A section, which students paid $10 more for, and was supposed to be restricted to students only, while B section was open to students’ guests as well. USG explained on Facebook that they were just trying to make it a better concert experience and combine the crowd as they saw that sections B and C were not as involved and “lit” as section A. They also said that the managers of the artists requested to combine the sections as well, to get the artists hyped to perform. Section A holders were not hesitant to lash back at USG demanding for a refund, but there were many section B and C holders who were thankful for USG’s act of kindness.
Despite what Facebook fights are to come, one thing can be agreed upon. Between two student performers, a DJ, a rapper and a popular band this is the most diverse Brookfest in recent history.
Photos taken by Dorothy Mai. Find more photos from the concert on here!