Flanked by a posse of student dancers, Flo Milli, the headliner for the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) spring Lawnparties, turned up on the Frist North Lawn, to the raucous cheers of hundreds of students reveling in a day of free food, eating club festivities, and fine weather.
The festival on Sunday, April 24 marked the first spring Lawnparties since the spring of 2019. Spring 2020 Lawnparties were canceled amid the pandemic, and in spring 2021, COVID-19 restrictions prevented in-person gatherings on campus.
Festivities began at McCosh Courtyard at 10 a.m., where students stood in line for wristbands and picked up bagels. Many students gathered to have their pictures taken near the fountain outside of the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) building.
Food trucks opened on Prospect Avenue at 12 p.m. The selection included Nomad Pizza, TacoBell, Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard, as well as corn dogs, funnel cakes, mangos, pretzels, and french fries. Water and juice stations also lined the street.
“I love Nomad Pizza,” Genevieve Cox ’25 said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.
Ahead of the main event — held on Frist North Lawn, in a break from tradition — many of the 11 eating clubs hosted their own live performers or DJs. Cap & Gown Club had Dad Bod as its performer, a “brand new rock band formed by members and friends,” according to a listserv email sent by the club. Terrace F. Club had three performers: Kid Cousin, an indie rock band, Tennyson, a “high-energy, jazz-influenced electronic pop” band, and Raavi, a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, according to an email sent by the club.
Colonial Club had Kenny Mason as its performer, an Atlanta-based rapper who “bridg[ed] the gap between rap and alt-rock,” per an email by the club. Tower Club hosted The Homies as its performer, a band taking a pit stop from touring with Jack Harlow. Ivy Club had UNIIQU3 as its performer, described as “ [a] Jersey club icon,” according to an email from the club, with Glimmers as the opener.
Doors opened on the Frist North Lawn at 3 p.m., where student opener Strawberry Milk and headliner Flo Milli were set to perform. In part due to ongoing campus construction, the performance was moved from the backyard of Quadrangle Club, where the concert usually takes place.
The USG Social Committee, chaired by Madison Linton ’24, organized the event.
Strawberry Milk opened for their third ever gig at 3:15 p.m. The band consists of Tanushree Banerjee ’24, Evan Chandran ’24, Chris Johnston ’24, Toussaint Jones ’25, Harit Ragunathan ’25, and Cole Vandenberg ’24.
Vandenberg is an Associate Puzzles Editor for the ‘Prince.’
The band played covers of hit songs, such as “Yellow” by Coldplay.
“I loved Strawberry Milk,” Davina Thompson ’25 said. “I really liked their rendition of ‘Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance.”
Thompson is a staff writer for The Prospect.
In an interview with ‘Prince,’ band-member Chandran said, “[T]hat was probably the most exciting moment of my entire life.”
“More to come,” Banerjee, another member, added.
The ‘Prince’ talked to students awaiting Flo Milli’s performance.
“Flo Milli s***,” Griffin Maxwell Brooks ’23 told the ‘Prince.’ “I am very excited. I got here early, I want to be in front, and I want her to see me and me to see her.”
Flo Milli took to the stage at around 4 p.m. She sang her hit songs “Beef FloMix,” “In the Party,” and “May I,” along with others.
Flo Milli also elicited participation from the crowd throughout her set.
“Flo Milli was really engaged with the audience compared to A$AP Ferg,” Fawaz Ahmad ’25 said, referencing the fall Lawnparties’ headliner’s performance.
Other students also reflected on A$AP Ferg’s performance, which was marked by dangerous conditions and injury to at least one student, as crowds of students pushed against the barrier which separated the stage from those gathered in the Quadrangle Club backyard.
“This was a much more organized and civil Lawnparties than last fall,” Ryan Konarska ’25 told the ‘Prince.’ “I believe it was a much more enjoyable experience for everyone.”
The next Lawnparties will take place in the fall of 2022.
Lia Opperman is an Assistant News Editor who often covers University affairs, student life, and local news. She can be reached at liaopperman@princeton.edu, on Instagram @liamariaaaa, or on Twitter @oppermanlia.
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