A First Exposure to Stanford’s Annual Picnic |

Two of StAR’s freshmen reporters sit down to talk about Frost. The music festival, not the poet, or the frozen water.

Alejandra: I have to say that, for me, the pre-Frost buildup felt like half of the experience. The name itself, a single word holding the promise of chill vibes and a good time, was just floating around for what felt like forever. Bright blue, psychedelic posters screamed “micro-Coachella” almost literally everywhere I turned. Guerrilla marketing tactics covered campus with the news and a detailed network of publicity outlets was tightly calibrated to get the word out—not necessarily the event itself, but the word. Frost. We weren’t simply being sold a series of musical performances; rather, we were encouraged to spend $20 on a day-long festival experience in our own backyard. Frost. Maybe that’s why I didn’t find Frost’s most anticipated feature to be the performances (more on that later). I don’t know how the experience was for others, but simply being at Frost was what I’d really been looking forward to. Like a rite of passage or something.

Coming out of the event, I’m not exactly sure how I felt about it. It was fun, sure, it was chill and sunny and laid back, but I was a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps because it wasn’t exactly what I’d expected—not a party, really, or micro-Coachella, but more like a large lawn show complete with sunbathers, lounging families and group picnics. It was not an unwelcome feeling, per sé, it was just so chilled out that by the time the bands came on I was too relaxed in my grassy seat to go dance (which was arguably a good thing, as having too much craziness following week seven and right before week eight might have been a bit much for me) (and any chance to relax is always welcome, even if it’s on as large a scale as Frost was).

Sasha: I completely agree. As a freshman as well, I had never before experienced a Frost Music & Arts Festival, though I have for a long time been involved in the Bay Area music scene. My expectations for Frost were very much skewed towards an Outside Lands-type extravaganza—a jam-packed amphitheater filled with screaming fans and a few too many illegal substances. The atmosphere of Frost was very different. The event felt less like a music festival in the traditional sense of the word and more like a day-long retreat—an escape from CS midterms and research based arguments—to the beautiful, on-campus Frost Amphitheater. The crowd was less engaged with the music and more engaged with their picnic blankets, the fantastic food trucks from the streets of San Francisco, and in-group conversations. Yeasayer and Dispatch did not make the event; rather, their music was a pleasant accessory.

Having gotten the opportunity to work a little bit with the Stanford Concert Network in preparation for Frost, I can tell that this atmosphere was intentional. One of the most impressive parts of Frost for me was the incredible student contributions. From the original survey circulated fall quarter that asked for student input in the bands we chose to book, to the breathtaking sculptures designed by a student course specifically for the festival, to Paper Void’s fantastic opening set, to the dozens of student volunteers who made Frost happen, Frost was catered to the needs of Stanford students. Frost may not have been a conventional music festival, but it was exactly what Stanford students wanted.

Alejandra: Before getting to my two cents on Yeasayer, we’ll just get the elephant in the room out of the way: sound check, guys. By song two, the static feedback was in every high note coming from the keyboard, and somewhere near the second minute or so the band cut the whole thing short in favor of patching up the problem. I’m not sure what the technical difficulties technically were or why they happened, but ouch. Coupled with frontman Chris Keating’s half-hearted attempt to make small-talk with the crowd to pass the time (and a few bits of vaguely offensive jokes sprinkled in those almost painfully awkward five minutes), this did not make for the smoothest start by any means.

Thankfully, I’d say that the speaker fiasco was probably the biggest critique that can be made on Yeasayer’s otherwise solid, enjoyable performance. It was a pleasant surprise to hear how well their music translated in a concert. If you’ve heard their stuff before, you know that it’s this smorgasbord of classic rock instruments and neue electronic noise that appears to be tailor-made for speakers or headphones—making it all the more impressive that the group is up for the challenge of a live setting. Some highlights of the show included a pleasant representation of throwback 2010 hits among their newer stuff (the amount of times I heard people excitedly exclaim something like, “The memories!” = too many to count) and Keating’s amusing lack of foresight and subsequent self-deprecating commentary as he ran out on stage wearing a black two-piece suit and tie (it was around 80 degrees out that day, poor guy). The group closed with “Ambling Alp”, one of the most confident, electrifying performances of the set. And even though they were technically an opening act and even though it was barely mid-afternoon, as they walked offstage I was left with the desire for an explosive encore and a really killer light show.

Sasha: Dispatch’s set far exceeded my expectations. Despite their apparent popularity at Stanford University, I am embarrassed to admit that before they were booked for Frost, I had never heard of Dispatch. When Dispatch first took the stage last Saturday afternoon, the group was met by audience roar. Students who had spent the afternoon sunbathing and chatting with friends took to their feet and began to stomp along to the Dispatch’s nostalgic refrains. Though I myself did not know the words I found it hard not to jump around along with them.

So,I know that unlike last year, this year’s Frost tickets were not sold out. Why do you think this is? Looking forward to next year, what changes to Frost would you like to see made? What bands are you hoping to see at future Frost festivals?

Alejandra: I don’t think it was an issue of getting Frost to become common knowledge; rather, from my experience, I think Frost was pretty much everywhere. I do think, however, that getting the artists as much face time as the event itself is absolutely crucial for success. There were a lot of students who didn’t really know the details of the event, just that 1) it was happening and 2) it was promised to be an absolutely fantastic time. On the other hand, most of the general public came based the promise of these specific musical performances.

And it delivered on everything! The problem, though, was that it was trying to deliver on too much, and no one experience was wholly satisfying (although, from my admittedly biased perspective, it appeared to be heavily skewed to appeal to student audiences). Simply put, the attempt to make Frost a chill, relaxing, as-intimate-as-a-6000-people-crowd-can-get kind of intimate student event was counteracted by the attempt to make Frost an energized, on-the-map music event open to the public.

Appealing to mass audiences while appealing to the Stanford population is a thin line to toe. I think that the Concert Network’s been taking steps in the right direction—surveying students, for example, on bands they’d like to see is a great first step—but the best way to maximize on Frost’s success is to find some way to cross-pollinate between target audiences. Because when all is said and done, Frost is a one-day, four and half hour event that doesn’t leave much room for anything less than a well-oiled machine with a short list of goals to knock out of the park and a specific audience that is consciously being catered to. It might not get everyone hooked, but it’ll make for a show that strives to be—and will be—the best it can.

Sasha: Personally, I think that Frost needs to make a decision about what kind of event it is trying to be. There was a clear dichotomy in the experiences of Stanford students and the general public at Frost: while Stanford students mainly attended Frost to bask in the sun and hang out with their friends, the general public was more interested in the music. I had several community members approach me after Dispatch’s set and ask me why there weren’t more concerts held at Frost amphitheater. Meanwhile, when the Stanford Concert Network does put on concerts on campus for students, they struggle with attendance. I think the type of band we book for Frost next year will depend entirely on whether or not we are attempting to appeal to the needs of Stanford students or the general community. I would love to see Stanford book an up-and-coming artist rising in popularity in the Bay Area alternative music scene. For example, this year for their spring music festival the University of Washington brought STRFKR and Sky Ferreira to campus. Carleton College brought St. Lucia, Brown brought Chance the Rapper, Diplo, and Lauryn Hill. I would love to see Alt-J, Fitz and the Tantrums or Matt & Kim on the Frost 2015 bill.

photo credit: Eric Gillet, Stanford Arts Institute