FYF Fest brings impressive performers, long lines at Expo Park


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The Los Angeles music festival, FYF Fest, also known as F-ck Yeah Fest, took over Exposition Park last weekend for two nights of incredible artists and performers, including headliners LCD Soundsystem and Kendrick Lamar, and other acts like Tame Impala, Grimes, Beach House and Father John Misty.

Some of the best Saturday acts included Peter Bjorn and John, DIIV, Hot Chip and AIR, and the most popular stage, the Main Stage, consistently brought standout performances.

Taking over the main stage sunset slot was experimental dream pop queen Grimes, who brought a chilling, yet high-energy performance that featured dancers, incredible lighting and a special guest appearance by Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes on the track “SCREAM.” Also gracing the main stage was Tame Impala, who had unforgettable abstract projections that complimented their psychedelic rock sound. The band played old and new songs such as “Let it Happen.” The latest single from the album Currents, which was backed with pulsing animations of colorful rings and flashy moving lights, grooved seamlessly to the upbeat hit.

Headliner Kendrick Lamar closed out the night in style, playing popular songs like “Backseat Freestyle,” “King Kunta” and “m.A.A.d. City.” His anthem “Alright” was a crowd favorite, which had attendees singing along to every word. His performance featured black and white videos of historical events, abstract images and funny clips like Barack Obama and Ellen Degeneres dancing, ultimately contributing to a complex and memorable performance.

Sunday at FYF did not disappoint either, especially with performances by Blood Orange, Father John Misty and Mac Demarco. One of the best performances of the night was Beach House, who brought an elaborate production of projections, starry lights and carefully-crafted lighting design that matched perfectly with their dreamy vocals and reverberant guitar riffs. Additionally, LCD Soundsystem closed the Main Stage Sunday night, ending FYF with a bang. From the incredible videos, lighting and disco balls to the upbeat synths, harmonies and legendary melodies, LCD Soundsystem gave an explosive performance that got the entire crowd dancing.

However, what seemed like a normal music festival took a sharp turn for the worse on Saturday as the festival faced a major issue of actually getting attendees inside the grounds. Hundreds of people lined up along Vermont Avenue, waiting almost two hours in the hot sun for a chance to finally make it past security. This became a major issue for both festival attendees and artists performing at the venue.

“The signage around the Coliseum was nearly nonexistent, causing confusion and misdirection as people searched for the entrance,” said Mack Cooper, a senior studying music industry who attended both days of FYF. “The decision to have one entrance seemed to only add stress and danger to the ingress process, forcing people to miss full sets, and bands to play to a very limited crowd.”

All in all, the carefully curated lineup at FYF Fest drew a huge crowd this year and will likely draw more fans next year, but it seems like the festival needs to seriously rethink its infrastructure in order to continue running smoothly for years to come.