The 17th edition of Number Fest, or 17Fest, will take place Saturday, and festgoers and artists alike are sure to be preparing.
Though the festival always seems to draw a crowd, some students aren’t necessarily feeling the lineup this year.
“It’s terrible. It’s trash. That’s why I’m not going,” said Madison Hernandez, a junior studying business management, marketing and human resources.
But nonetheless, Number Fest is able to bring in artists from multiple countries and even some from around Athens. Between EDM artists and multiple rappers, there will be nine different artists playing throughout Saturday. Here’s an in-depth look into the nine artists playing at 17Fest:
Rae Sremmurd
Consisting of two brothers — Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi — Rae Sremmurd has been pumping out hits ever since its 2015 debut album, SremmLife. With songs such as “Black Beatles” and “No Type” reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, the brothers have been climbing the charts since their start. With its 2018 album SR3MM having multiple big features from the likes of The Weeknd and Future, Rae Sremmurd is definitely a duo to see for many this Saturday.
Rich The Kid
With nearly 15 million Spotify followers, Atlanta-based Rich The Kid has collaborated with everyone from Migos to Fetty Wap. The rapper has taken influence from hip-hop greats like Tupac and Nas and has grown to his level of fame with songs, such as “Plug Walk” and “Splashin.” His sophomore album The World Is Yours 2 released on March 22, so it can only be expected some newer music will be played on Saturday.
Boombox Cartel
Intending to bring music from all backgrounds and heritages together, Boombox Cartel isn’t afraid to bend genres and break musical boundaries. With a slew of shows taking place over late spring and early summer, it seems Number Fest is the kickoff for the tour. Festgoers are likely to hear hits like “Moon Love” and “Whisper” as Boombox Cartel closes out the stage Saturday night.
DJ Pauly D
Coming to fame on the hit MTV show Jersey Shore, DJ Pauly D has made a successful career for himself since the end of the original series in 2012. The powerhouse DJ just announced a two-year residency in Las Vegas at Drai’s Beachclub. With hits such as “Back To Love” and “Beat Dat Beat (It’s Time To),” it seems Jersey will be brought to Athens.
Though Hannah Graber isn’t going to 17Fest, she thinks seeing Pauly D would be fun.
“It would be interesting to see his arc from reality star to massive DJ,” said Graber, a junior studying communication studies.
Shaun Frank
Bringing a bit of Canada to Athens, Shaun Frank will be hitting the stage in the late afternoon on Saturday. As a DJ, producer and singer-songwriter, Frank is somewhat of a triple threat. Though his writing credit on The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” got him a chart-topping song, his solo releases have garnered him a huge following in his native Canada. Frank is best known for his songs “LA LA LAND” and “Shades of Grey,” so some festgoers may be watching out for those tunes during his set.
Flipp Dinero
Peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his hit “Leave Me Alone,” American rapper Flipp Dinero will grace the stage Saturday. Dinero claims newly traded Odell Beckham Jr. made him viral with a video of the football player dancing to “Leave Me Alone.” Dinero released his newest single, “Feelin Like,” back in December.
Kid Quill
Mitchell Quilleon Brown, better known as Kid Quill, has been churning out music ever since his debut album, Ear to Ear, in 2014. The rapper hails from Shelbyville, Indiana, and has about 570,000 followers on Spotify. Just having finished a slew of shows in the Midwest, the hip-hop artist will be playing at Firefly Music Festival in Delaware, as well as Electric Forest Festival later in the summer.
DJ Trail Mix
No stranger to DJing in Athens, Mike Salopek, better known as DJ Trail Mix, is ready to take the stage Saturday. A senior studying music production and the recording industry, Salopek has played everywhere from showcases at The Union Bar and Grill to The Over Hang. With Number Fest being his biggest show to date, festgoers should expect something that isn’t necessarily heard around Athens.
“I’m going to get pretty weird with it,” Salopek said.
Mitch James
Playing both the main stage as well as the silent disco stage, Columbus-based Mitch James will be making his Number Fest debut this weekend. The 18-year-old DJ played Breakaway Music Festival in August and recently released a remix of Louis The Child’s “Better Not” with Maxwell.
