The 2023 Summerlands festival with performances by DJ Matt, thuy, Peach Tree Rascals and Wallows was hosted by ASUCI in Aldrich Park on May 19. Alongside the main performances, the event featured other activities including photo booths, temporary tattoos, various vendors and more.
After the success of this year’s Aldrich Park After Dark (APAD), many students said they had high expectations after Summerlands’ full lineup was revealed on May 5. Over 8,700 students registered to attend Summerlands, last held in 2019.
Matthew Nguyen, ASUCI Concert Engagement Co-Commissioner and fourth-year sociology and education sciences student, discussed the differences between the preparations for APAD and Summerlands.
“The goal was just to bring all of the students together. With the success of APAD, I was just so shocked about the amount of support [and] the amount of students that showed up … APAD was definitely like our [trial run], but I’m very confident that students will [still] come and enjoy Summerlands,” Nguyen said.
He further noted that Summerlands took a full year’s worth of planning in comparison to only having the summer to plan for APAD.
It was the first Summerlands for many attendees, largely due to the pandemic and last year’s cancellation of the event. Anticipation for the event had been running high, with some students even hoping to camp out days prior to the event in order to secure a guaranteed spot. But, in the couple of days before its launch, ASUCI made a disclaimer through an Instagram story that camping in Aldrich Park the night before the event would not be allowed.
Despite worries of another cancellation throughout the day due to cloudy skies and a chance of rain, many students still made sure to guarantee their entry. Though the doors of the event did not open until 4 p.m., the line had begun forming many hours prior, with many claiming to have waited in line since 7 a.m. Others brought picnic blankets and sat outside the venue waiting to be admitted, as seen in a photo uploaded to r/UCI by u/LokiforpresidentTVA.
Mion Learned, a second-year psychology student who had been in line since around noon, said that she took shifts with her friends in order to keep their place in line.
“This is like the first [concert] where I’m actually here on time and ready to enjoy it. I was in line [around] 12 p.m., and then me and my friends tag-teamed [so] I could go home, get dressed, and come back like ten minutes before 4 p.m.,” she said.
When asked what aspect of the night she most looked forward to, Learned stated that it was more so the experience and energy that she anticipated for the night.
“It’s my first official Summerlands [since] last year’s was canceled, so I’m just kind of enjoying it, experiencing all of the [available activities] … I’m just really here for the vibes — getting the student experience and being able to interact with people,” Learned said.
DJ Matt opened up the event, taking the stage shortly after 4 p.m., until the festival’s first act, thuy, took the stage some time after 5 p.m., opening with her song “obsessed” from her latest project, “girls like me don’t cry.”
Following thuy and a short intermission, the event’s midliner, Peach Tree Rascals took the stage. Performing songs like their hit “Mariposa,” the group seemed to have had a better time engaging with the audience by coordinating multiple crowd waves and one member even throwing his shirt to the audience.
Krystal Reynoso, a first-year psychological sciences student, said Summerlands was her first UCI concert since she was unable to get into APAD this past fall. She stated that she would gladly return to another in the future, adding that she is a big Wallows fan and was excited to have front row seats.
“I would definitely come [to another concert] if they have more cool bands like this,” Reynoso said.
Once Peach Tree Rascals’ set ended, the group stayed behind during the intermission to take photos with fans before the event’s headliner, Wallows, took the stage. With the crowd screaming before the group could begin performing, many could gauge that the group was one of the more anticipated acts of the night. Performing songs like “Pleaser” and “Scrawny,” the band was able to keep the crowd’s energy going throughout the entirety of their set before bringing the event to a close.
After their performance, the New University spoke with some of the Summerlands performers about their experience.
“[Tonight] was beautiful. The energy of the crowd is always something that makes our job easier and more fun, and these Anteaters really brought the energy today,” Peach Tree Rascals member Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq said.
Joseph Barros, another member of Peach Tree Rascals, agreed that the energy and reciprocated love from the crowd made the night most memorable for them.
“We’ve performed for a bunch of campuses, but this is one of the top three, easily,” Abdel and Barros said together.
Makyla McLeod is a Campus News Apprentice for the spring 2023 quarter. She can be reached at msmcleod@uci.edu.