Students crowded Frist North Lawn this Sunday, weathering the second rainy Lawnparties this academic year. The conditions disrupted scheduled activities throughout the day, causing long lines at Ivy Club and an early closure at Tiger Inn. Skeez, the planned opener for headliner Waka Flocka Flame, was a no-show, leaving a DJ from Flame’s personnel to warm up the crowd. Student opener Ziff & Griff performed as scheduled.
Though the audience had dwindled by the late afternoon, the crowd on Frist North Lawn was dense in front of the stage. Dancing in tight areas led to at least one student attendee’s injury, eliciting a call from Flame to help the person trampled. Moshing at Lawnparties has resulted in safety issues before: in Fall 2021, one student was hurt during A$AP Ferg’s performance.
Even when equipped with umbrellas, ponchos and raincoats, attendees reported that the bad weather adversely affected their experience.
“It's a little sad with the rain,” said Christopher Caligiuri ’25.
“The rain is kind of just dampening the experience a little bit,” said Amayel Ka ’26.
When asked by The Daily Princetonian if she looked forward to Flame, Ka responded, “I’m going home.”
Others felt more positively, but noted a more chill vibe.
“It's obviously a bit more mild than in past years,” said Max Hines ’25. “But it seems like people are still having a good time.”
As the street flooded, festival favorites fell flat. Food trucks parked on Prospect Avenue opened at 12 p.m., but were under-attended compared to previous Lawnparties. Options included Taco Bell, Nomad Pizza, and Rita’s Italian Ice, as well as cheesecake on a stick, fresh mangos, and pretzels. There were also several water stations along the street.
Per tradition, eating clubs hosted their own entertainment. Ivy Club hosted singer-songwriter Kah-Lo, known for hits “Fake ID” and “Rinse & Repeat,” as well as club opener DJibouti. Tiger Inn and Cap and Gown Club followed the DJ trend, featuring Kaz and Geiger respectively. Other clubs hosted bands: Strawberry Milk performed at Tower Club, Weston Estate at Colonial Club, and Cat in the Wall at Quadrangle Club. Cannon Club brought the last call, hosting a PUID post-Lawnparties celebration at 9 p.m.
The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) also introduced some new features this year. The wristbanding stations offered TigerTale pins to students. Students were able to pose for photos in front of a Lawnparties banner. Additionally, pizza was provided near the main stage in the afternoon.
Of the new features, mid-concert pizza from Domino’s seemed especially popular — slices ran out in the first 15 minutes.
“The pizza in here is like a huge plus,” said Evan Chandran ’24. “It makes more sense staying than leaving to eat and come back.”
On the main stage, Ziff & Griff began their set at 3 p.m. with a remix-heavy playlist. Student backup dancers were an unadvertised surprise for attendees.
In the absence of Skeez, a DJ from Flame’s personnel came on to warm up the crowd prior to the headlining performance. Students didn’t seem to mind the substitution.
“I have no idea who Skeez is,” said Hines.
“There is another opener,” said Jenny Nwokeji ’25. “It's totally fine.”
According to USG Social Chair Avi Attar ’25, Skeez did not disclose a reason for his absence.
Headliner Flame took the stage around 4 p.m., performing his own hit songs “No Hands” and “Hard in Da Paint,” and covering crowd-pleasers such as Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What.”
“Where my ladies at?” Flame called to the audience at one point in the show. “Where my frat boys at?”
Izzy Jacobson is a staff News writer and Features contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Tess Weinreich is an associate News editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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