What happens when you mix chaos with exuberance? Heat, of course. The most anticipated music festival at UCR falls nothing short of spectacular. Heat Music Festival 2013 was full of bright lights, joyous spectators and a festive atmosphere that will be difficult to match for years to come. Among some of the notable musical artists to perform were AWOLNATION, Bring the Noise, The M Machine, DJ Banks, Surfer Blood, Porter Robinson and the young member of Y.M.C.M.B. known as Tyga.
The vastly illuminated Highland Stage was covered with a transparent roof that enclosed the students in an area that was surprisingly far less scalding than one would think. In addition, prior to the performance, KUCR staff threw T-shirts and other UCR and Heat Music Festival gear to the screaming fans.
The fans gathered at the Highland Stage as they eagerly waited for Tyga to make his highly anticipated UCR debut that had been hyped up for weeks. At one point, the crowd began to chant Tyga’s name, and every sound that came from the speakers seemed to build higher and higher to an epic intro.
Finally, an intro video started playing as all the lights went out. Before we knew it, every person at the Highland Stage heard a familiar voice shouting, “UCR, make some noise!” Although the wait seemed endless, and at times prolonged, Tyga’s explosive entrance proved that being fashionably late can be acceptable when backed up with the kind of reputation that young T-Raw carries on his shoulders. Tyga’s expensive gold chains, gold watch, leather jacket and snapback were nothing short of his typical swag. The trembling bass in my ears along with the unique combination of colorful, flashing stage lights were sufficient enough to put any fan in a euphoric state of bliss.
Tyga had everyone’s hands up in the air for the majority of his performance as they mouthed and rapped along to hits such as “Make It Nasty,” “Molly,” “Switch Lanes” and even one of his famous radio hits “Rack City.” Collectively, the atmosphere of the Highland Stage was lively and upbeat, but unfortunately felt crammed most of the time; it was almost impossible to maneuver oneself towards the front of the stage once Tyga had begun performing. However, despite the fact that students were wandering back and forth between Tyga and Porter Robinson, the atmosphere remained consistently ecstatic and friendly.
As the performance progressed, Tyga began inviting a few students on to the stage to dance along with him and his posse of friends that were cheering from backstage next to the DJ stand. Tyga ended his performance with a few of his newer songs such as “Do My Dance” and “Celebration.” This concert was not only an unforgettable experience but it also massively increased my expectations for next year’s Heat Music Festival.
