Scott BresslerThis Saturday at W.I.L.D., some students will be able to actually walk in and lie down, as the name suggests, but no one will be able to walk in and take photos. The annual concert has recently undergone various changes, which have been met with both excited and lukewarm responses.
For this semester’s W.I.L.D., Team 31 is bringing couches back to the Quad, as well as placing a ban on still cameras. New inflatable couches, subsidized by the Campus Bookstore, will be available for all attendees to use on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“The problem is that there’s like eight [couches], so like 20 people will have a great time,” said Team 31 Co-chair Pehr Hovey. “It’ll be something fun and we’re trying it out. If it goes over well, we might do more couches.”
While attendees have been allowed for years to bring their own couches in compliance with the deadline and rules outlined on W.I.L.D.’s Web site, the tradition has petered out. The vast majority of students interviewed were unaware of this privilege, though a fair portion knew it had been done in past years.
While students were initially excited about the inflatable couches provided by Team 31, they expressed disappointment at the limited number of couches provided.
“How are you supposed to get a seat at one?” asked sophomore Fiona Turett.
“I think there’ll be people piling on them which would be kind of interesting considering they’re inflatable and not very strong,” said junior Aarthi Arunachalam.
Along with the inflatable couches, the other new change causing concern is the ban on still cameras at this semester’s W.I.L.D., by request of headliner Lupe Fiasco. It is uncertain whether this policy will apply next semester as well.
“We were told no cameras at all, and that comes from Lupe Fiasco, because the headliner gets to dictate that,” said Hovey.
Students were generally disappointed with this policy.
“That’s kind of ridiculous. I want to take photos with my friends,” said senior Joe Karasek.
“That sucks,” said freshman Kelson Hedderich. “But we have to respect Mr. Fiasco’s rights.”
Other new additions to W.I.L.D. include a fourth act and an extended opening act. The opener, Kid Beyond, a San Francisco-based beatboxer, will be playing for one hour rather than the usual half-hour.
The fourth act, the Sugarhill Gang, an old school hip-hop act from New York City, was added to the show only recently. The group’s addition to the bill represents the first time W.I.L.D. has had at least four performers since spring of 2006.
Many students were excited about the Sugarhill Gang’s addition to W.I.L.D., despite some who were not familiar with the group at all.
“I love the Sugarhill [Gang],” said freshman Grant Wilborn. “I listened to it with my parents when I was growing up, so I was excited to hear that [they will be performing], but a lot of my friends have been asking, ‘Who are the Sugarhill Gang?'”
Other students, like freshman Joel Cohen, felt that the Sugarhill Gang’s performance would expose students to a style of music that they may end up liking.
“I can’t say I dislike the idea of exposing [students] to something new they’ve never heard, because I think a lot of people will end up liking them,” said Cohen.
“People might be up front more excited about somebody they know, but they’re going to go anyway, and if somebody they don’t know turns out being amazing, you could turn all these people on to good music,” said senior Josh Feinstein.
As with every year, volunteers are welcome to show up unannounced between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. until closing on Saturday.
“Just show up and say, ‘Hey.’ People who help out for a decent amount of time get a T-shirt and pass,” said Hovey. “But also we have a little area next to the mixing tent…that gives you a little bit of a lift above the crowd. We stash some drinks and pizza there for people as a reward for helping us out.”
Scott Bressler
Rachel Tepper & KARL Improv
Scott Bressler