Gym Class Heroes perform for an ecstatic crowd

It might not have been Woodstock, but one lucky Washington University student got kicked in the face by a Gym Class Hero.

The scene was chaotic. A small mosh pit formed when Gym Class Heroes took the stage, and for the majority of the show, a mixed crowd of questionably sober students waved their hands back and forth in unison to the music. A few fraternity brothers attempted crowd surfing. Some students sat on a hill near the stage and enjoyed the music from a safe distance while some got up close and personal with the band members.

The injured party, though, asked not to be identified.

Student bands opened for Gym Class Heroes while their peers tossed a Frisbee around and ate spicy Korean barbeque from Seoul Taco and cupcakes from Sarah’s Cake Shop, both complements of the Congress of the South 40. Cupcake flavors included snack cake, and, for the more adventurous, chocolate caramel pretzel and strawberry lemonade. CS40 also provided a spin-art table for students to decorate giveaway sunglasses.

The original Gym Class Heroes was formed in 1997 and has become increasingly popular over time. The group’s name stems from the fact that two of the band’s members, Travie McCoy and Matt McGinley, met during gym class in high school. The rap-rock group now includes McCoy, McGinley, lead guitarist Disashi Lumumba–Kasongo and bass guitarist Eric Roberts. Some of its most famous songs include “Cupid’s Chokehold,” “Stereo Hearts” and “Ass Back Home.”

CS40 organized the event. Last year’s WUStock brought Matt & Kim to campus.

Student openers included the Broom Closet Beer Club, Rhyme n Reason, Petra and the Priorities and DJ PRKR.

Student performers were excited to take the stage for WUStock.

“I’m really excited. I’m treating this as my big break,” sophomore Michael Parker, stage name DJ PRKR, said.

Students in Rhyme n Reason expressed similar excitement.

“The thing about WUStock is that the venue and the atmosphere is very festival-like,” sophomore Jason Onugha of Rhyme n Reason said.

Onugha felt that it was important to create the right kind of energy on stage.

“If we are enjoying what we are doing, then hopefully the audience will get that same energy, and we will just sort of feed off each other,” she said.

Hilary Brownstead, a member of CS40, said that the food and activities were very popular. She estimated that about 400 people participated in the event, noting that all 350 pairs of sunglasses were nabbed by the end of the concert, as were all 400 cupcakes and 700 tacos.