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On April 7, hundreds of undergraduates congregated in Harvard’s Tercentenary Theatre to celebrate the spring and sun at Harvard’s annual outdoor concert, Yardfest. The crowd enjoyed performances from student groups Extra Extra and Maybe There’s Life, followed by two joint-headliners, Kiiara and Bazzi. The Crimson sent two dedicated journalists to find out how students really felt about Yardfest 2019.
Ella Q. Michaels '22
Roving Reporters: What are your general thoughts on this year’s Yardfest?
EQM: I’m sort of generally optimistic about the principle of the Harvard tradition, and maybe a little disappointed about how the administration has gone about handling it this particular year, based on what I’ve heard from years past.
RR: What are your thoughts on the headliners?
EQM: Had I heard of them? Nope! Had I heard of some of their songs? Like, peripherally.
RR: Do you have a favorite song?
EQM: It’s like the (*starts singing the melody of “Gold”*), that one? And then like the “You so fucking precious when you,” whatever, by Bazzi. Honestly, I’m here for Ethan Fields of Extra Extra, and then depending on how I feel I may or may not actually dip.
RR: What’s your biggest existential crisis right now?
EQM: You want me to pick one?
RR: Just pick a fun one.
EQM: Now this is my biggest existential crisis, picking which one of my existential crises is the biggest.
Alexa C. Jordan '22
RR: What do you think about the whole Yardfest shebang?
ACJ: I think it’s really cool that Harvard is willing to bring distinguished artists to campus, and I think it’s a pretty good time as well, because it’s after spring break, we’ve had a few weeks to come back, it’s kind of like a nice study break, I would say.
RR: So you mentioned distinguished artists, what are your thoughts on the two headliners?
ACJ: So I recognize their songs, and I mean, I’m sure that there are a lot of other artists that would be better. But I would say that I’m excited, specifically excited about Bazzi, because I like “Mine” and “Beautiful.”
RR: If there were one realistic artist to headline artist, who would you choose?
ACJ: Jonas Brothers.
Michael B. Alber '21
RR: What are your thoughts on Yardfest as an event?
MBA: As an event, I think it’s a nice idea to organize something in the yard where everybody can have a good time, so I think the idea is good.
RR: What are your thoughts on the headliners?
MBA: I was very disappointed by the headliners because I think they’re bad. It’s not the type of music people really get excited to. It’s a bit more slow music.
Nina B. Elkadi '22
RR: What have your thoughts on Yardfest been so far?
NBE: Honestly, it’s been one of the best days of my life at Harvard so far, simply because I’ve seen so many wonderful people that I haven’t seen in a while, including but not limited to my FOP leaders, who are both really great people. Also, it’s nice to step back and spend time with friends.
RR: What have your thoughts on the headliners been?
NBE: They’re fine.
RR: What are your thoughts on the logistical setup with the food and everything?
NBE: I’m a little frustrated because I live in Thayer Hall, and it would be nice to go pop into my room and lie down for a second, go to the bathroom. But instead I’m confined to this space. I want to say I get it. I don’t really get it. But it’s been fine so far. There’s been a lot going on in here.
RR: If you could have any headliner, who would it be?
NBE: Well I heard there were rumors about Brockhampton. If that was the case, it would have been a really, really great time.
Marlena E. Skrabak ’22 and Katie J. Gao ’22
RR: Have you enjoyed Yardfest so far, for the little time that you’ve been here?
MES: We enjoy the food, and we very much enjoyed it from our dorm room, which the window has been open from as we study for the LS midterm.
KJG: We live in Thayer, so we’ve been hearing everything since 2:30.
RR: What made you guys not come to Yardfest until now?
KJG: Our midterm.
MES: We would’ve been here earlier. Probably earlier when it was warmer, too.
RR: What are your thoughts on the headliners?
KJG: Not my top choice, to be honest. There was a rumor floating around about Brockhampton coming...
MES: We would’ve screwed the midterm.
KJG: Unfortunately, not my cup of tea.
Gillian L. Meeks ’20 and Liam R. Hackett ’19
RR: What have your thoughts on Yardfest been so far?
GLM: I think it’s fun. I think it’s really cool that they have all of the food out here. I’m sure that it took a ton of planning.
LRH: Yeah, you can really tell that they put a lot into it. It’s a great day. I remember my sophomore year it was pouring rain and there was mud everywhere. The day’s perfect, and I think there’s a lot of backstory behind this year, so I understand that there’s some things that they had to do differently. I don’t know why the setup is different, but I’m sure they had their reasons, and they did their homework really well. I think it’s really fun.
RR: How do you think it compares to past years’ Yardfests?
GLM: It’s flipped!
Michael A. Miccioli ’22
RR: What are your general thoughts on Yardfest?
MAM: So far, it just seems like a pretty low-key event. Nothing too crazy, but I thought I might as well come.
RR: What are your thoughts on the headliners?
MAM: I’m actually not entirely sure who’s playing.
RR: What are your thoughts on the food?
MAM: Always appreciate the grilled cheese truck.
Andrew Huang ’21 and Jason Yoo ’21
RR: What are your general thoughts on Yardfest this year?
JY: I think it’s really exciting to see a band, Extra Extra, on stage[,] because I think they’re mostly freshmen. We’re keeping up with this annual tradition of allowing freshman to shine on this stage. Also, these artists are really well-known people with really cool hit songs, and I think everyone is going to vibe really well today.
RR: How do you feel about Yardfest as an event that brings the entire Harvard community together?
AH: Yeah. I think it’s a good time. You get to see a lot of people you don’t see for a while, and we really do need to have a specific, designated time to come together and really just have a good time together. I don’t think that happens enough.