This years Rites of Spring was definitely one to remember. The lineup this year originally consisted of Rhodes student band 50/50 and Timeflies on Friday and Curb Fellow Dré Moore and A$AP Ferg on Saturday. Friday’s lineup was solid, with 50/50 totally killing their set and garnering a ton of new fans. Timeflies was a more nostalgic band for most of the audience, and they covered a lot of earlier pop hits as well as playing their own music. The lead singer Cal Shapiro also freestyle rapped about Rhodes College, which is a normal part of their routine when performing at colleges.
Saturday’s lineup was shaken up on Saturday morning, when the student body received an email that A$AP Ferg could not perform because of a sudden illness. The Rhodes Activities Board worked frantically to replace him, and finally found Wale as a replacement. The campus as a whole seemed unimpressed by Wale’s performance, which may have been because of disappointment over A$AP Ferg not being present or because his performance was lackluster. After Wale’s performance, however, the student body congregated in the Lynx Lair because of a sudden downpouring of rain, where karaoke was being held as an alternative to the fraternity parties. A surprising amount of people stayed at the Lair and performed various karaoke songs for much longer than anyone would normally stay at the Lair away from the frats. Those present at the Lair during the rainstorm felt a real sense of camaraderie with those around them through this spontaneous musical experience.
Although this years Rites was unlike my last three in so many ways, this year was my favorite because of the many surprising and unplanned elements.
Text by Sarah Johnson