University Union plans to bring four artists to Walnut Park this year as part of Syracuse University’s third annual MayFest celebration. Officials announced each artist, from order of performance, on Sunday via Twitter starting at 8 p.m. and released each next artist in 30-minute intervals. 

Act No. 1: Aer, a Massachusetts-duo featuring David von Mering and Carter Schultz

Genres: Reggae, acoustic pop, indie rock and rap

Gaining Fame: The duo’s first EP ‘What You Need’ performed well on the iTunes hip-hop chart. Its song ‘Feel I Bring’ was listed in the ‘New and Noteworthy’ section of the iTunes reggae page. Aer will also perform at this year’s Bamboozle Music Festival.

Why they’re coming: ‘We found Aer through iTunes,’ said Chloe Slade, co-director of UU’s MayFest committee. ‘After we saw their presence on iTunes we started watching their YouTube videos and checked out their fan base. We heard that people in the SU community knew their music and followed it. It will be a great support for the following artists – all of the acts really flow together.’

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Act. No. 2: 5 & A Dime

Genres: DJ, dance-electronic, mash up

Claim to Fame: The Philadelphia-based DJ remixes music and creates mash-ups that have received much attention from the music blogs and the social media sphere. 5 & A Dime’s first album ‘Ear Candy’ received more than 50,000 downloads in the first two weeks following its release. The DJ has opened for artists Wiz Khalifa and Super Mash Bros, the latter of which performed at UU’s Juice Jam concert in September 2010.

Why he’s coming: ‘We were trying to figure out what to put in the show that could get everyone excited and riled up for the following acts,’ Slade said. ‘We’ve obviously had a lot of DJs in Syracuse in the last year, so the genre is definitely emerging and he is a very up-and-coming artist. He’s going to bring a really great crowd down to Walnut Park.’

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Act. No. 3: Timeflies

Genres: The Brooklyn-based duo identifies itself on its website as ‘Electro Hip Pop Dub-Something.’

Claim to Fame: Timeflies has been consistently gaining its following through major social media outlets. The group’s first album ‘The Scotch Tape’ peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Pop Albums chart. Vanity Fair has dubbed creators Cal and Rob ‘Rez’ Resnick ‘musical masterminds.’ 

Why they’re coming: ‘Timeflies is able to come out with songs that are pretty relatable to college students,’ said Dan Bernstein, co-director of UU’s MayFest committee. ‘They have ‘Tuesday Timeflies’ each week with different songs that students can appreciate.’

From the time UU officials started looking at the group in December, Timeflies’ following had increased exponentially, Slade said.

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Act No. 4: Outasight

Genres: Pop, hip hop, rock, soul

Claim to Fame: His 2011 hit track ‘Tonight Is the Night’ has spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The tune is featured in a Pepsi commercial that highlights footage of famous musicians including Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. Outasight is the official headliner for MayFest.

Why he’s coming: ‘His music will bring people interested in all kinds of music to Walnut Park,’ Slade said. ‘He’s going to put on a show that people will remember.’

The latter two MayFest artists, Timeflies and Outasight, recently collaborated on a remixed version of ‘Tonight Is The Night.’ Slade said she is excited to bring the two acts to SU and hopes the entire set will draw students of all interests.

‘It’s great how we can book two separate artists, and then two months down the road they’re tweeting at each other and collaborating,’ Bernstein said.

MayFest 2012 will last from 1-6 p.m. on April 27. All students must have a valid SU ID for entry. UU officials are still determining the process and policy for guest tickets. Full plans for MayFest have not yet been announced by Student Association.

UU officials have stated the second and headlining acts for Block Party, which follows in the Carrier Dome after MayFest, will be announced in the coming days.

mainthia@syr.edu 

Published on March 25, 2012 at 12:00 pm