With spring break in the rearview mirror and finals rapidly approaching, the latter half of spring semester can be a trying time. Luckily, there is one weekend that acts as an escape from the hurricane of papers, tests and projects: Spring Party Weekend (SPW). This weekend is a collection of events surrounding a concert in late April, and is always eagerly anticipated by the student body. As SPW gets closer and closer, students have been increasingly anxious to know who the performing artist will be. The anticipation and excitement were amplified at the Spring Party Weekend Reveal Party, where student bands and artists vied for the chance to open for this year’s artist. Flashing lights and the boom of music filled the Parker Apartment Complex as the evening swung into high gear. 

There were four student performances: senior Austin Smith, TachBand, Wicked and senior Zach O’Neill. The winner will be revealed later this week. One particular crowd favorite was a cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” performed by TachBand. For this event, the students were the ones who got to choose which band would come out on top.

Visitors who stopped in were able to appreciate the performances. 

“Honestly I wasn’t at the event for long, just long enough to see one band. I think it was TachBand, they seemed to be pretty good. I did notice that SGA put on a good event – there was food and the DJ was playing good music,” senior Jacob Cartwright said.

Attendees got to enjoy an energizing atmosphere and free pizza as they listened to live music on a particularly warm Friday. One student was even hoisted up to surf the crowd while other students danced and chatted.

Finally, at the end of the event, the main artist for this year’s SPW was revealed. Juicy J will be performing right here at Colgate University. Although he is mainly known for his collaborations on popular songs such as “I Don’t Mind” by Usher and “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry, his song “Bandz a Make Her Dance” from the album Stay Trippy is extremely well known. 

While the crowd was mainly composed of upperclassmen who will be experiencing their third or fourth SPW this year, many first-years eagerly anticipate their first one.

“I’ve heard a couple of songs that he’s been featured on, and I think he’s a great choice for Spring Party Weekend,” said first-year Mary Berkey.

SPW will be held over the weekend of April 27 to 28. It starts with the Kick-Off BBQ and ‘Gate Slimed Game Show on April 27 and concludes with the main concert on Saturday, April  28.     

Contact Abby Blair at [email protected].