Last Dinosaurs and Ari Lennox will be headlining this year’s Virtual Slope Day on May 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. EDT, the Slope Day Programming Board announced Thursday to the Student Assembly.
Australian indie garage-rock band Last Dinosaurs is most known for their debut 2012 album In a MIllion Years. Their most recent single, “Flying,” was released in April 2020.
Ari Lennox — a soulful, American R&B singer known for her vulnerable, relatable lyrics that deeply resonate with listeners — has previously opened for Lizzo, and is best known for her 2019 debut album Shea Butter Baby. Her most recent single, “Set Him Up,” was released in collaboration with Queen Naija on April 7.
In keeping with the styles of both headliners, the first night will focus on lowkey, indie performers, with Last Dinosaurs being joined by PREP, a band with jazz, funk and electropop influences, as well as MICHELLE, an indie-pop collective whose music reflects the jumble of interests and identities present in their hometown of New York City.
The second night will shift to a more R&B and hip hop atmosphere, with Ari Lennox being accompanied by Smino, a rapper known for combining hip-hop with funk and soul, and EarthGang, a rap duo noted for their inventive music with distinctly Southern influences.
Although only half of the student body has experienced an in-person Slope Day, the Programming Board still hopes that this year’s festivities will make for a fun experience.
“The hope is that we as a student body can celebrate the end of the year as safely as we can, given that we’re still in a pandemic, with these concerts,” Estefania Perez ’21, the executive director of Slope Day Programming Board, told The Sun.
In addition to announcing the performers, the Slope Day Programming Board will be releasing a playlist with five songs from each artist in the order they will be performing. To promote the two-night virtual event, the Slope Day Programming Board is also planning on handing out 500 Virtual Slope Day t-shirts during Wellness Days as well as co-sponsoring a virtual show with the Cornell University Programming Board: a DJ Diesel set with live Q&A at 7 p.m. on May 7.
Wendy Wang is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected]. She currently serves as Arts Editor on The Sun’s 139th Editorial Board.
John Colie is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at [email protected]. He currently serves as an Assistant Arts Editor on The Sun’s 139th Editorial Board.