Hordes of Cornellians and Ithaca College students flocked to the Arts Quad last night for a free concert by popular music group Guster. The performance topped off Fall Fest — 65 fraternities and sororities showing off Greek pride and giving out information about their houses.
While the Guster show attracted crowds, however, turn-out wasn’t as high for the early afternoon information booths set up by the Greek houses.
“I had never heard of Guster,” said Timothy Yip ’04. “It pretty much caps off the stereotypical college experience: students gathered together, [heard] a really cool band.”
Guster has released three albums, the latest, Lost and Gone Forever. They are best known for songs “Fa Fa,” “Barrel of the Gun,” and “Happier.”
The concert featured the band’s original songs and some crowd pleasers, including “Tequila” and a group-chant of “Penn Sucks.”
“This is dope; this school is really dope,” a Guster band member said to the audience. “We’re going to put away our instruments after this because nothing can top this motherf—ing Fall Fest.”
Guster drew a lot of old fans as well as some new ones.
“It’s different from a lot of other music; it has a lot of deep messages. It’s more real life,” said Ben Wolfe ’03.
Fall Fest began at 4 p.m. with fraternities and sororities running booths around the Arts Quad, giving out information about their houses.
The event, which was formerly known as Fun in the Sun, was a change from last year’s carnival theme. This year saw local bands Poetic Alchemy, Dan Brandy and Granian, as featured entertainment for earlier in the evening.
Despite the bands, some fraternity members were disappointed by a poor showing.
“I think it was a valiant effort,” said Justin McEvily ’03. “I’m confused why the turn-out wasn’t that good.”
“It didn’t have the same effect as last year [when] there was a lot more going on than just the booths,” said Dan Schiraldi ’03, a brother at Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Some fraternity and sorority members thought that the information booths might have been intimidating to students not in Greek houses.
“A lot of people I spoke to said they wouldn’t come by if they were freshmen,” said David Zachowitz ’01, a brother in Sigma Pi.
He added, though, “I was surprised it wasn’t more crowded but the music was pretty good.”
Fall Fest was sponsored by the Cornell Concert Commission, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association.
Archived article by Beth Herskovits