By James Sweeney SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
As the air takes on a cooler crispness, and the ever-present New York foliage turns golden and auburn brown, the presence of fall in our lives (and in our closets) becomes obvious. The presence is also essential, particularly when considered alongside our cultural love for seasonal traditions.
For some, autumn is characterized by an emphatic shift in fashion towards warmer colors, thicker layers and Ugg boots which feature a dangerous amount of glitter (you know who you are). For Hofstra students though, autumn is special for more than just sports and pumpkin-spice lattes, as this time of year in Hempstead is known for one particular event: Hofstra’s Fall Fest.
This being my first Fall Fest, I was initially unsure of what to expect. The parade of floats, the state fair-inspired rides and the decision to kick off the Vibe Live concert with Rubix Kube, aka “The Galaxy’s Most Original ‘80s Tribute Band,” all felt a bit too corny to entertain a college crowd like Hofstra’s. That being said, I’ll be the first to admit that I was surprised at both the impressive organizational efforts that were made and the overall reaction to the day’s festivities.
While Rubix Kube wasn’t exactly like the real thing, their stage presence and passion were palpable to the crowd in attendance. From Van Halen to Michael Jackson to Journey, Rubix Kube’s set featured a variety of ‘80s rock and pop anthems, with appropriate wardrobe changes to match. As they closed their set out with Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Rubix Kube’s drummer and Hofstra alumnus John LaSpina let out a powerful drum-solo to punctuate the opening salvo of the day’s musical festivities.
Following the dynamic opening act was the iconic ‘90s rhythm and blues group, TLC, who put on a classic performance. At their most popular, TLC’s albums reached diamond certification in sales, their tours sold out all over the world in mere minutes and they were even pegged to record the theme song to Nickelodeon’s sketch-comedy show “All That.” TLC’s set, which included two of their biggest hits, “Waterfalls” and “No Scrubs,” drew some of the most exhilarating moments of crowd participation that were seen all day.
Charged with the responsibility of keeping the energy levels high after TLC’s performance were Brooklyn-natives Matt and Kim, an indie-pop duo who rose to fame thanks to small performances similar to Fall Fest. Matt and Kim undoubtedly understood that their name, when compared to both ‘90s icons, TLC and burgeoning modern pop-superstar Janelle Monae, didn’t draw a significant amount of recognition. Despite this, Matt and Kim made as conscious an effort as possible to turn the stage and the field into their kind of atmosphere – a party featuring covers of R. Kelly’s, “Ignition (Remix)” and Biz Markie’s, “Just A Friend.” They finished their high-octane performance with two of their catchiest and most popular tracks, the bouncing, keyboard-driven “Daylight” and the synth-bathed, “It’s Alright.”
Janelle Monae’s performance, which capped off the daylong concert, was one that may serve as a greater memory for some than they initially expected. While the critically-acclaimed singer found herself performing in front of a crowd that was perhaps a bit less thoroughly familiar with her work than most of the ones she performs in front of, she didn’t seem to miss a beat. Clad in her signature tuxedo, Monae’s performance made up for its lack of elaboration or complexity with an overall aesthetic structure that mirrored her own individual style, sleek, yet vibrant and classically appealing. She performed, among many others, the title track to her most recent album, “The Electric Lady,” an album that was praised for its versatility within the strict confines of chart-topping pop music.
Much like her albums, Monae’s live performance was an exercise in variety, as she brought with her both energy and ingenuity that few people can claim to have seen for free on a crisp September day.