Chicago native Lupe Fiasco headlines FEST 2012 lineup

DePaul’s annual music festival returns this year with a handful of talents to keep us on our feet. Last Monday it was announced that the headliners this year are to be Lupe Fiasco and Portugal. The Man, with opening act Battles.

On Friday, June 1, the quad between University Hall and the John T. Richardson Library will be transformed into a summer venue to celebrate the end of another academic school year.

Students will pack the lawn to see the highly anticipated lineup. Ticket sales began May 15 in both the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. The tickets cost $10 each, with a limit of two per DePaul student ID.

Chicago native Lupe Fiasco will perform tracks from his previous albums, including the hits “Superstar” and “The Show Goes On.” Raised as a Muslim on the West Side of Chicago, Fiasco is known for his anti-establishment views, which he has expressed both in his music and in interviews.

Assisted in his career by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Fiasco is a big name in the rap game today, and DePaul students are anxious to see him perform on campus.

“I’ve followed Lupe Fiasco since I heard that song ‘Kick Push,’” said DePaul student Andrew Smith. “He’s a great talent in today’s rap world, can’t wait to see him at FEST. It’s also pretty cool that he’s from Chicago, so it’s like he’s coming home to perform for us. It’s the perfect end to my school year.”

Portugal. The Man is a well-known band within the indie-sphere of the United States. Originally from Alaska, this foursome is comprised of John Gourley (vocals, guitar, organ, machines), Zachary Carothers (bass, backing vocals), Kyle O’Quin (keyboards, synthesizers) and Gregory Littlejohn (drums, percussion, visuals).

Recently gaining recognition for their catchy tune “People Say,” these guys have acquired a large following among the college crowd, DePaul included.

“Portugal. The Man might be one of the biggest names around,” said Breanna Grisham, “but they are awesome. I love that they are playing at my school, and especially that I can see them for only $10, along with the other artists.”

Opening for these two acts is experimental rock group Battles. Ian Williams, Don Caballero and John Stanier comprise this up-and-coming band from New York.

The crowd may recognize their tune, “Atlas” from the Playstation 3 game, “LittleBigPlanet,” and various other television episodes.

Battles’ 2007 EP “Mirrored” received a score of 9.1 in a Pitchfork Media review, among the many other positive reviews, and their 2011 album “Gloss Drop” is equally as catching.

The party will continue on into the night, with after-hours performers The Cataracs, an indie-pop duo from California.

Niles Hollowell-Dhar (Cyrano) and David Benjamin Singer-Vine (Campa,) known together as The Cataracs, create music that is considered to be a mixture of genres, predominantly rap and pop.

Student DJ RAG3 will also be performing after-hours, after winning a contest put on by DAB, allowing the DePaul student body to vote for their favorite student DJ to fill the spot.

“It’s a little frustrating that only DePaul students will be admitted into the show,” said Greg Breiser, “It would be nice to be able to bring a friend from another school, but I guess I understand that they need to offer spots to DePaul students first…I’m sure a lot of people would love to come see these acts.”

Doors will open at 5 p.m. on June 1 and the show will begin at 5:30. Entry to the event will close at 8:45 p.m. and there is no re-entry. Students are reminded that they must have both a DePaul ID and a pre-purchased ticket to enter FEST.

Follow the FEST updates on the event’s Facebook page or the DAB Facebook and Twitter accounts. Keep up with the excitement and add your own comments with the Twitter hashtag #FEST2012.