Here’s What Went Down At USC’S Gearfest
Ellice Ellis ‘20
This past Saturday, the Black Student Assembly (BSA) hosted Gearfest on McCarthy Quad - showcasing black artists, black-owned businesses and other local artists. After a very stressful week of midterms, Gearfest was the perfect pick-me-up and a fun-filled break from studying.
As I walked around the festival, I saw that there was something different was offered at every booth. The running group, BlackListLA, had a booth set up promoting their various fitness activities around Los Angeles. I visited Ugly Betty Boy Crush: a jewelry store that sells stackable bracelets. Ugly Betty Boy Crush even had Mardi Gras-themed jewelry just in time for the revelry next week. The vendors at the festival were a great way to promote black business and introduce students to black entrepreneurs in the LA area.
Among many of the food vendors, J&B Popcorn sold Lemon Pound Cake and White Cheddar popcorn. There were food trucks from Not Your Mama’s Kitchen and Postcards. I got to try their Ms. Brooks Way which was mac & cheese, red beans, rice and greens all in a wrap. It was sort of like a soul-food Chipotle. Their sweet potato fries were exceptional. I paid only $14 for all of the food I consumed, which was quite satisfying for my budget!
Photo courtesy of Postcards
As the sun set, the crowd grew and Adanna Duro, a former contestant on American Idol and The Voice, performed her original song “Quinn,” which was a crowd favorite. She started off her set with great energy, electrifying the crowd and generating lots of smiling faces.
The artist Courtine hit the stage next - performing her song “Try”, a cover of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone”, and a cover of “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker. I was glad the producers of Gearfest decided to feature lesser-known artists and expose the crowd to different styles of music.
The energy transferred as the crowd got hyped for the headliner. The DJ played popular gospel songs by Black artists and radio-hit “Bad and Boojee” by Migos, which prompted spontaneous dancing and cheering from the crowd.
The headline act, BJ The Chicago Kid, finally hit the stage performing his most popular songs: “Church” and Grammy-nominated “Studio” by Schoolboy Q (on which he sings the hook). Initially, I was scared because I’ve never seen him live and I doubted whether or not he had a large enough fan-base to get the crowd hyped; but I was impressed with how he wooed the crowd with his drumming skills and melodic voice. It was a perfect way to end the night. BJ ended his set telling the crowd to reach for their dreams and to defy all stereotypes, just like he did.
Gearfest was an overwhelming success. The merriment of the festival prevailed over the rain and introduced USC Students to great local vendors and artists.
Although Gearfest wasn’t my first time attending an event hosted by BSA, it definitely was great experience for a Black student like me. I felt very comfortable and happy. I can’t wait for next year’s Gearfest festival!
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