By the time 11Fest ended with the bang of fireworks after DJ Steve Aoki’s set, the jam-packed field had become soaked with beer that flew through the sky as the partiers began the journey home.
The Number Fest crowd, which grew quickly after the doors opened around 1 p.m., saw a lineup that featured two headliners, rapper Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki; funk-rock-tinged groups Bad Rabbits and Forest & the Evergreens; as well as show opener DJ LoCo, an Ohio University student who had the OU Marching 110’s drumline accompany him for a portion of his set. Lamar, Aoki, Bad Rabbits and 5 & A Dime all traveled to the Number Fest as part of the Karmaloop Verge Campus Tour, sponsored by Neff Headwear and powered by eMuze.
Salim Akram, guitarist for Bad Rabbits, said the band, which is on tour with Lamar and Aoki as part of a college campus tour, appreciated coming to and playing in Athens and even getting to visit Fluff Bakery & Catering earlier in the day.
Akram talked about how it was important to show the band’s appreciation by performing with as much energy as it could while on stage, and taking whatever the crowd gave it.
“When there is so much going on, to get them engaged in the show is important,” Akram said. “Our sound and our show is what we make of it.”
Parker Muntz, singer and guitarist for Columbus-based band Forest & the Evergreens, said the crowd’s energy made for an engaging performance.
“I think the crowd really dug it, and I talked to people afterwards that were really excited that there was some live music going on,” Muntz said. “I think it was pretty cool, man. We had a great time.”
At some points, the crowd’s energy threatened the show. Several times, employees of Prime Social Group, which organized the festival, asked fest-goers to stop throwing beers into the air and onto the stage. At one point, they warned, “Artists will not perform if you throw (expletive) in the air.”
As Lamar’s set began, the crowd began to rush up to the front of the stage. At one point, someone in the front of the crowd fell, leaving Lamar to stop after his first song and urge the crowd to allow the person to get up.
“I don’t want to see anybody on the ground,” Lamar said before resuming his set. “Don’t end up on the (expletive) ground.”
Dominic Petrozzi, founder of Number Fest, said fest organizers cut off Lamar’s performance early to slow down the frenzy.
He added that 11Fest was the biggest yet, but he did not yet have official ticket-sale totals.
Organizers are considering changes for future fests, Petrozzi said, including moving away from the “bring your own bottle” format.
“Overall, I felt the event was a success,” Petrozzi said. “There were times with the amount of people that were there that we were overwhelmed. … The acts were tremendous, and the fans were super stoked.”
ds834910@ohiou.edu
