Parking Lot E gradually grew into a carnival and concert venue Wednesday night as community members rode rides, played games and enjoyed free food. As the night went on, musicians took the stage and played the night away.
Activities Programming Board (APB), a student organization whose goal is to plan fun and engaging campus events, hosted Wednesday’s Fall Carnival and Concert.
Students slowly trickled into the carnival starting at 4 p.m., some watching from afar as if contemplating whether they should go in at that time or come back later.
People ambled around in the fall breeze, talking with friends and waiting in line to grab caramel apples and funnel cake fries or hop on the hanging-carriage carousel or swing. Occasionally, shrieks from a thrilled rider traveled across the parking lot.
Other people played games like inflatable basketball knockout, football target practice, dart balloons and ring toss.
Senior Madison Fulton wandered over to the carnival earlier in the evening before stopping at Norse Commons for dinner. She went for a whirl on the swing ride twice and was anticipating a visit to the table filled with doughnut holes and the hanging-carriage “Phantom” ride.
“I definitely want to do the Phantom ride, that looks really fun. I always love a little adrenaline,” Fulton giggled.
Since the event was scheduled to go on for seven hours from 4-11 p.m., crowds fluctuated throughout the night. Around 5:45 p.m., Fulton described the crowd as quaint. “I thought there would be a lot more people, but honestly, it’s not done. There might be a lot more later in the evening.”
Activities Programming Board President Jaylen Jones said the original plan was to separate the Fall Carnival and Concert into two different events: one for the carnival with rides and food, and the other for the concert alone. After considering what would be most accessible for students, the group decided to combine the events into one action-packed night.
Hosting a concert in the heart of campus was something Jones said had never been done before.
“We definitely wanted to bring something that we had never done as an organization. APB had never booked people for music, so we decided this was an opportunity to capitalize on that,” the president explained.
Indigo Storm, a rock band, was the first act to hit the stage. The band brought a high-energy performance with their self-described progressive rock sound.
The band transitioned into cover songs after about 40 minutes, but the constant of the performance was the deluge of guitar chords and crashing symbols flowing from the stage-side speakers.
As the sun began to set during the opening set, more people flocked toward the stage and near the parking lot’s perimeters.
Good Morning Bedlam followed after Indigo Storm’s set came to a close, hypnotizing the modest audience with their indie-Americana music. The band consists of two singer-instrumentalists—one played the upright bass and the other swapped between guitar and ukulele—who played with clear chemistry. They found a deep groove on stage, shimmying around and encouraging the crowd to sing along.
Rapper Seddy Hendrinx headlined the night.
“It’s a small university, but he’s an up and coming rapper, so we all grow together. I mean, I feel like it fits that way,” said Tyana Rasberry, vice president of APB.
The crowd receded for a few moments prior to his set as the carnival activities were stowed and shut off for the night. But as the night wore on, students started emerging from their dorms. When the DJ played “Cupid Shuffle,” the crowd was ignited into dance, and that energy spiraled into restless excitement when it became apparent that Seddy Hendrinx would take the stage soon.
Despite his lateness, the crowd was happy to see the headliner. The small pool of people crawled toward the stage when he stepped up. He went off-stage for his opening track, getting on the ground and up close to his spectators. The rapper’s melodic flows, boastful lyrics and buoyant spirit sparked rowdiness in the crowd.
This rowdiness would carry on, even after the performer had a back-and-forth with the production team when they turned down the volume on the master system.
Seddy Hendrinx, upset about the quiet back track, brazenly told the crowd that he would have walked out at most other shows. “I gotta stay out here for y’all,” he said through the microphone.
When his set concluded, the performer—still agitated about the sound levels—offered to take photos with anyone who wanted one, heading back into the crowd to meet a swarm of fans.
Each act was distinct in style, making for a diverse lineup, which was a purposeful move by APB to cater to all students, according to Rasberry.