Juice Jam came to Skytop Field on South Campus once again this past Sunday and it was lit. Two stages took over the field along with inflatable basketball, a caricature artist, and other activities.
This year’s lineup wasn’t as popular with students as it was in previous years, but those that showed up were definitely into it.
The first artist to perform on the main stage was Jeremy Zucker. In Zucker’s first festival-style performance, songs such as “Keep My Head Afloat” were performed while audience members cheered and yelled things like “What’s your phone number?” and “He’s so attractive!”
From the beginning his set was good, but as he shared more about himself and played more songs, I personally enjoyed it even more.
While the crowd for Zucker was smaller than it was for other artists, those that were there were screaming like he was the headliner. They were even more excited when they found out he’s a college student himself.
The next artist to take the stage was Smallpools. They performed on the smaller, side stage and rocked it despite some technical difficulties. At one point near the start of their set, they lost all their sound, but made the best of the situation.
Once sound was regained, the crowd could be heard chanting, asking for a drum solo. Smallpools complied and continued to rock Juice Jam.
As the day went on, more and more people showed up ready to cheer on some of the bigger artists, like M∅. Performing on the main stage, she drew a bigger crowd than the first two artists. After performing songs like “Final Song”, she ended her set by crowdsurfing.
M∅’s set drew the biggest crowd yet and that’s when the day really got going. The summer festival vibes were in full swing and no one would’ve known the days leading up to the event were rainy and cold.
Ugly God followed on the side stage with a performance that was honestly a 5/10. Some of the crowd was definitely into it, but for those that weren’t his biggest fans on the planet, the set was substandard. Ugly God sang, but each track played behind him, making his singing unnecessary.
The headliner, Diplo, performed on the main stage. I have to say, Jeremy Zucker was my favorite, but as far as entertainment goes, Diplo was dope.
University Union made sure his set was the most fun, throwing inflatable balls into the crowd. The graphics shown in front of and behind Diplo added to the atmosphere as well. The crowd was going crazy and the overall vibes were unforgettable.
As a whole, Juice Jam 2017 was a success. While bigger artists would’ve drawn a larger crowd and been much appreciated by all, the event was worth the $20 spent on a ticket. Between the lineup and the other activities, it was an awesome opportunity for a fun Sunday.