There we were, huddled together like penguins in Antarctica, trying to steal warmth from each other, as cold, dagger-like rain crashed onto our bodies. My friends and I got there early, since we didn’t know how many people would actually show up. They were estimating around 2,000, but when we got to Hooker Fields, there were only about 50 people milling around. We made our way to the front of the stage and established a spot in the crowd. In order to distract ourselves from the bitter cold, we started to debate whether or not standing out here in the elements for Waka Flocka would be worth it. I mean, we all only knew one song by him (“No Hands,” classic staple in the frat-boy party playlist). After some discussion about how cool it would be to have a famous person like him on our Snapchats and Instagrams, we decided to stay.
As the crowd slowly started to increase, the pre-opening act, Hollywood COLD, entered the stage to get everyone warmed up. They did satisfy us for a while, one of them even took their shirts off to distract us. Unfortunately, his oddly attractive dad abs weren’t enough to make everyone forget about the fast numbing of their toes. We were ready for Waka. The actual opening act, DJ Luke Nasty went after Hollywood COLD, and he was actually amazing. He made me forget about the frostbite slowly spreading through my body. The crowd increased. Soon I was smashed between other people like a TV remote smashed between old couch cushions.
Finally, Waka Flocka’s friend Roscoe entered the stage, and the crowd went wild. He immediately started singing and jumping around, like a kid that just ate all of his Halloween candy in one go. The crowd leaned forward, pushing me closer to the stage. I was vibing with his energy until he decided to dive into the group of girls in front of me, who definitely couldn’t support his weight. He nearly fell on the ground, but miraculously stayed up, which still confuses me because as soon as they saw him leap off the stage they moved away.
Anyway, after he jumped in the crowd, I got separated from my friends, and pushed next to a really nice upper classman girl who spent some of the concert helping me find my friends. She was like me in that she wasn’t really into Waka Flocka but was happy that she got to experience this with her friends. As soon as Waka entered, everyone went crazy. People were pushing each other out of the way. Mothers were abandoning their children. Cats and dogs were living together. It was total chaos. Okay, okay, so I may be exaggerating the last two things, but it was pretty crazy out there. Someone started a mosh pit at the front (that I got stuck in). Everyone was so compacted together, to the point where I couldn’t properly breathe and my feet weren’t touching the ground. It was terrifying, yet exciting. At one-point Waka jumped into the crowd to get closer to everyone. Roscoe tried to crowd surf again, getting further than he did the time before, but everyone eventually pushed him back on stage. (A warning to any other singer or band who performs at UNC: do not crowd surf; we will not support you; we will let you fall.) After a good hour of floating through the crowd and staring at the sky wondering what legacy I would be leaving behind if I died at this concert, it finally ended. Waka and Roscoe left with an inspirational message about God, and the crowd dispersed.
All in all, it was amazing. Going there forced me out of my comfort zone; I never in my life thought I would be stuck in the middle of a mosh pit! It was exciting, loud, and just a lot of fun (thank you CUAB). I can’t wait for next year’s Jubilee!
Thanks to Selena Kongmany and Madison Smith for sharing your photos!