A parking lot on the corner of 13th Street and Fee Lane was transformed into a concert venue on Saturday night. A growing crowd gathered by the stage for the 2016 IU Welcome Week Block Party, which showcased electronic dance music from headliner Zhu and acts by Matsu, MAX and Kiiara.
As members of the crowd danced to the pulses of EDM music, the lights and fog rolling off the stage silhouetted their raised arms.
The concert opened with Matsu, known as sophomore Mark Matsuki by day and a professional DJ by night. As he danced behind the controls, he praised IU and encouraged concertgoers to make some noise.
“Let’s party like it’s your goddamn birthday,” Matsuki said. Between songs, he rallied and pumped up the crowd.
“IU, you guys here have been absolutely amazing,” he said.
The concert included electronic, dance and pop-rock music, creating an EDM theme that sophomore Joseph Cullather said he liked.
Cullather said he was looking forward to hearing Kiiara, who is a singer, songwriter and electropop musician from Illinois. He said he enjoyed Kiiara’s debut EP, “low kii savage,” which was released this year.
“I like it because she’s young,” Cullather said. “I hope she knows how to relate to young people so she can get us pumped up.”
Freshman Ben Wright said he liked having the opportunity to spend time with friends and see up-and-coming musical acts.
Wright said he was only familiar with Kiiara’s music.
“I’ve heard Kiiara on the radio, and I like her first song, ‘Gold,’” Wright said.
Senior Charlie Schraw, the director of fun and adventure for Union Board, said he was excited to hear Zhu, a Grammy-nominated electronic musician and singer.
“Zhu is going to be awesome,” he said before the concert. “I heard a little of his music at sound check.”
Union Board, RHA and RPS organized the event to also include a carnival, which was free and open to all students. While it was planned to run next to the concert area, the carnival was moved indoors to the Hoosier Den in the Foster Quad.
Schraw said they had to cancel the outdoor event 24 hours in advance because of the forecast for stormy weather. The carnival was originally scheduled to have food trucks, activity booths and an inflatable obstacle course.
Instead, the indoor carnival featured free pancakes and games like Ping-Pong and foosball.
Both the carnival and concert are ways to keep students from partying too hard, Schraw said, but it also gives them an exciting Welcome Week.
“It’s a good way to kick off the freshman experience,” he said.
