Spring Send-Off was the most lit event of the school year! From the extremely long lines to the unsettling anticipation, the beginning of the concert felt like it took forever to start. Friends were gathering, the food line was growing, and the crowd in front of the stage began forming.
We first saw Destiny Rogers on stage: the 19-year-old singer-songwriter from California donned a silver Nike tracksuit. She sang some of the songs from her Tomboy – EP (extended play) and even paid tribute to Ella Mai with her own version of “Boo’d Up.” The crowd was still a little loose, but you could tell everyone was vibing even if they weren’t familiar with Rogers’ music before the show.
Up next was Ari Lennox, a 28-year-old R&B singer-songwriter from Washington D.C. Her stage consisted of a comfy lounge chair, and she sauntered out in a fur coat, immediately taking the audience to a jazz club. The crowd was vibing and grinding amongst themselves, reciprocating her “freaky” energy. Her groovy, sexy dance moves added to the hyped-up ambience. Ending her set in the best way, she made a shoutout to her “chocolate sistas” in the crowd, told the guys to “be faithful to your women y’all!,” and sang her newest song “Shea Butter Baby.”
Last but certainly not least, came our headliner Rico Nasty, the powerful 22-year-old rapper from New York. Before she graced the stage with her presence, her DJ got everyone lit. The entire crowd couldn’t help but chant her name. He played a mini set of all the best ragers just before she made her entrance. With energy bursting in the room, everyone jumped to one of her first songs, “Tia and Tamera,” which originally featured Doja Cat. “Sandy” induced the mosh pits. It didn’t take long for circles to open up in the crowd before the beat dropped. The mosh pits weren’t always initiated by males, which is a norm in most concert settings. The DJ wanted the audience to start a female mosh pit, which hyped up the crowd even more.
By the end of the night, I could tell that everyone had a great time. I have to say, UC San Diego has certainly improved in choosing artists to feature on campus, especially since these musicians are drastically changing our generation’s music scene. Overall, the concert was lit, the people went crazy, and to top it all off, there were free stickers on the tables as we were exiting. Spring Send-Off 2019 was definitely one for the books!
Kiyahna Brown is a Staff Writer for The Triton.