Yesterday I decided to check out the annual Springfest at WVU. The entire event began at about eleven in the morning at Milan Park. Several bands from different genres came to put on a show for people in the Morgantown area. An all day music festival paired with hours of tailgating seems like a recipe for extreme good times. Sadly Springfest was not the festival that I wanted to see…

For starters, the outdoor concert was spoiled by cold rainy weather. Not only did the weather put a damper on the occasion, but some of the rules and organization of therubber U sponsored event made it miserable at times for some. The buses were not only too small for the large amount of students trying to get on, but they also came about once every thirty-five minutes, which made the transportation process feel like an eternity. Other rules that really annoyed people include the rule that kept under aged people from  leaving and re-entering the concert area.

That said, if you are someone who can have fun in the rain and if you are someone who loves good music…Springfest was fun for the handfull of people that actually stuck around for the later, more popular music acts. Now let me touch on the most important part of Springfest…the bands.

Shwayze seemed to be the fan favorite coming into Sprinfest and he did not disappoint. With exception to Shwayze consistantly saying Morgantown Virginia, they put on an awesome show! They were talented and they sounded great live. They really got the crowd hyped and showed the people who stayed to hear them a great time.

Another band that really suprised me were the Davisson Brothers. I had never heard them before, but I thought they were one of the best acts that touched that stage. They where exciting and their lead singers voice and guitar was superb. They were a band that was West Virginia through and through. I am not even a die-hard country music fan, but I can’t say that I wasn’t clapping and singing along with them in the rain.

I was not really impressed with the band Punchline. Partially because I am not a huge fan of that punky style of music, and because they put on an average to sub average performance. Sorry Punchline, but you could have shown me more.

Lastly the part of the festival that angered me the most was how local favorite Fletcher’s Grove was treated. They are not only one of the best bands that play around Morgantown, but they are also one of the best bands that was at Springfest. The band was not only given a very limited time slot but they were disrespected by the event staff that came out during their set and told them to basically wrap it up. Fletcher’s Grove was also disrespected by by Big Boi’s people setting up their portion of the show during Fletcher’s performance. To be honest I would have rather heard twenty more minutes of Fletcher’s Grove than Big Boi.

Overall the concert was fun for me personally, but I could see how some people would have been miserable. It was a place that you had to put some effort into to enjoy yourself. But if you could abide by some of the lame rules, withstand the tretcherous bus ride, and ignore the cold annoying rain…the music and the partying with friends and complete strangers could easily make Springfest a day/night to remember. The experience was not the time that it could have been, but if you are a fun person, you would have had a fun time.