Confetti shots and mad beats filled the air of Athens County during Saturday’s 9Fest.
“There’s so many people. It’s the perfect day and there are so many people having fun; I love it,” said Melina McDonald, a freshman at Ohio University studying video production. “My favorite artist, Timeflies, is here, and I’m freaking out.”
The day began at noon without a cloud in sight as the crowd began to grow throughout DJ Bruni’s set. Then DJMG and a round of local artists including Yizzo, Bailee Moore and Dave Rave followed the disc jockey in a power hour of hip-hop and DJs from 2 to 3 p.m.
Dustyn Warner, Yizzo’s manager, said he was proud of the trio’s brief performance and said the crew handled the stage and the audience well with the time it had.
“We had a great performance,” he said. “We did our thing and we were cut a little short and that happens, but we got the crowd going, and it was great.”
Bailee Moore, one of the only women to take to the mic at 9Fest, won over the crowd during her first performance in front of a large audience after two warm-up performances at the J-Bar and Palmer Fest.
“The rush that I got when I got on stage was amazing,” Moore said. “It was epic and I was so nervous before I went on stage, I almost didn’t go. But when I finally got on stage, I was ready. It was the best experience I’ve ever had.”
Erik Paul, who rapped alongside Moore, said he felt a rush as well after taking the stage.
“9Fest was great and the crowd was amazing,” he said. “It was Bailee Moore’s debut performance, and it was epic as hell. It was so much fun.”
David Alexander of Dave Rave had a similar sense of accomplishment after taking the spotlight with his right-hand man, DJ B-Funk. The duo said they were excited to see familiar faces in the already-rowdy crowd.
“I thought it went great,” Alexander said. “It was great to see so many familiar faces in the crowd, all crazy for Dave Rave.”
A large three-hour round of musicians soon followed beginning at 3 p.m., including iPhonic, Freaky Franz and Cornelius Jackson, Telephoned and DJ E-V.
“This is the best party I’ve ever been to hands down,” DJ E-V said after his performance. “I’ll make sure to see all you guys again at 10Fest.”
With only three hours left of the fest, the three headliners pumped up the volume and inspired fans. First in the line-up was Chip Tha Ripper, followed by Timeflies and 12th Planet. Each headlining act created a higher and crazier amount of energy than the last.
“We just rolled up about a minute ago, but it’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Timeflies’ lead vocalist Cal Shapiro said upon arriving at the fest. “It’s probably the biggest show we have ever been a part of and it’s definitely the drunkest-looking kids I’ve ever seen.”
By the end of the day, the massive crowd of students stumbled their way home, cleaner than years past and ready for the next edition of Number Fest to commence in its new September slot in the coming year.
“This is my first year and it’s crazy,” said Reggie Keely, a junior at OU and a forward for the men’s basketball team. “It’s madness, and I’m really enjoying myself. I’m so pumped to see what’s in store for next year.”
Although the official number of the fest attendance has yet to be determined, festival organizer and founder, Dominic Petrozzi, said the fest was the biggest yet.
“From top to bottom it was definitely a well run and efficient festival,” Petrozzi said. “Overall, it was a perfect day; outside of a few small incidents, it was the biggest and best yet.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
