12 March 2013
By Shelby Clemons, Staff Writer
It’s time to whip out the crop tops and high-waisted shorts, because musical festival season is right around the corner, and those of us who can’t quite afford Coachella have to get our fix elsewhere. One of the many musical events that doesn’t burn a hole in your wallet is Heat, the seventh-annual mini festival that took place at UCR on March 2. It wasn’t as exciting or big as other music festivals, but it was worthwhile to see some great bands right down the street at almost no cost.
Since 2007, the UCR Highlander Union, a group of students and staff that puts on campus events and entertainment, has organized Heat as a music festival accessible to everyone. A big goal of Heat has been to include a wide range of music, from techno to soft rock. Past performers have included The Dirty Heads, Lil’ John, Chiddy Bang and Mac Miller, to name a few. In this year’s line-up was Tyga, Awolnation, Best Coast, Kid Ink, Surfer Blood, The M Machine and Audien. The mix of DJs, electronic groups and some of today’s up-and-coming bands presents something for everyone.
Former Poly bear and current UCR freshman Jillian Rausa said, “I love how they incorporated the different stages to different types of music. Food trucks were a very nice addition. Surfer Blood and Best Coast were by far my favorites because they stayed true to their sound.” Luckily for students like her, tickets were free, only $25 for UCR affiliates (so students could buy tickets for their friends) and $45 for the general public. Though it was originally a post-homecoming celebration for students, the cheap tickets and impressive line-ups have made for a sold-out show for the third year in a row.
Another attendee was Olivia Childers (12), who said, “Best Coast put on an amazing set. It was probably one of the most fun shows I’ve been to.” The band sounded spot-on live and on top of that, Bethany Cosentino, the lead singer, was very down-to-earth, joking with and talking to the audience between brilliantly performed songs. Not only were all of the performers impressive, but it was easy to squeeze our way to the front to see Awolnation scream out their hit song “Sail” and Best Coast sing hit after hit. Though the show was sold out, it didn’t feel like there were hoards of people like at other festivals, and overall it was a great show.
Other free/cheap festivals to look for are Make Music Pasadena on June 1 (it’s completely free and right at the heart of Old Town Pasadena!) and FYF Fest in LA (around $89, but still cheaper than Coachella!). If you didn’t make it to the bell tower at UCR this year, don’t worry, because Heat is surely going to continue for years to come.
Courtesy of 24.media.tumblr.com