Photos by Madi Petter
Day on the Hill had an electric and punktastic comeback to KU on Oct. 6 with openers Die Spitz and Slayyyter and headliner Turnstile. I went into the night knowing nothing but “DANCE…” by Slayyyter and have no regrets. The show was a time to remember would be an understatement. It’s permanently etched into my brain for all eternity. With this show being my first experience at barricade (albeit the far end) at an outdoor concert and seeing hardcore-style artists, my perspective has changed on live music as a whole. Interested in how the evening went? You’ve come to the right place!
The Camping
We got to the second gate of the David Booth Memorial Stadium around 3 p.m. with a short line. But as the day progressed and the sun started to set, the fans poured in rocking outfits representative of their favorite artists. Bunny ears, corsets, heels, cowboy hats, flannels, and boots down in the dirt as the crowds grew larger before we were eventually allowed inside. After a bit of running around, I found my place near the edge of the barricade, holding down the fort for the next few hours to come.
Die Spitz
I knew nothing of Die Spitz when this show was announced. In fact, I was not expecting the band to be all women until a couple weeks before the show. But the feminist energy presented in their performance knocked me off my feet (not literally, but I did hold onto that barricade). Vocalist and guitarist Eleanor Livingston’s stage presence was unmatched. She bounced from stage to crowd, interacting with all sides and delivering a performance that made me go and buy the $45 tee-shirt later, pushing the crowd into the energy needed for the night.
“Holy sh*t. That was the most epic feeling I’ve ever had,” said Stefanie Garlick, a KU sophomore, after crowdsurfing during Die Spitz performance. “That was such an experience; I literally want to do it again.”
Bassist Kate Halter also stole the show for me, constantly interacting with our side of the stage despite the not so great view. From kicking mid-playing to walking onto stage on her hands, Livingston’s and Halter’s aura, along with the amazing screamo performance by guitarist and vocalist Ava Schrobilgen and crowd-shaking beats by drummer and vocalist Chloe de St. Aubin, set the stage for what was to come next. As Schrobilgen said during the set, “This is the best lineup of all f*cking time,” and she was so correct.
Slayyyter
Slayyyter’s performance was nothing but pure electro-pop energy. Starting with “DANCE…” the only song of hers I knew, it was amazing as the crowd sang the lyrics to each of her songs with ease. I had heard bits and pieces of Slayyyter’s music before but decided to go out of my way not to listen so the show would be my first experience hearing those songs. That was a wonderful decision, and I did cry at “brand new chanel$.”
“I was really excited to see her because of her vocal ability specifically, and I was very, very impressed,” said Sarah Guse from Leavenworth, Kansas, and Ontario, Canada. “When she was singing … I had my eyes closed a little bit, and I was like basking. She was so good.”
Slayyyter’s enchanting vocals, along with the very well-done lighting on the technical side of things, brought forth emotions ranging from happiness, anger, and sadness. The only downside I can say about Slayyyter’s performance was the amount of smoke, and it was not from her set but from patrons. Perhaps I’m too new to this scene of music, but I was disappointed throughout since I couldn’t sing along after a while. But, Slayyyter’s energy more than made up for that tiny inconvenience as she jumped from both sides of the stage, pointing the mic to the audience to sing along.
Turnstile
Unfortunately, during Turnstiles performance I had to leave the barricade and did not get the greatest view. However, the band’s hardcore performance was infectious among the crowd as patrons moshed into one another and jumped for the cameras, racing around the hill. Die Spitz and Slayyyter did amazing setting up the energy needed for Turnstile, with Slayyyter coming back on at the beginning of Turnstile’s set.
“I was in a mosh pit for the first time in like 10 years. It’s just been super intense,” said Turnstile fan Eden Barnett. “It’s been so fun. I’m here with my friend, and I don’t ever think I’ve seen him let loose so much, so that’s been really cool.”
While I will admit Turnstile’s performance was not my personal taste in music, I think what impacted me more was the community that came together for not just Turnstile but Day on the Hill as a whole. From moshing to screaming the lyrics, people from not just from Lawrence, but across the globe, came together for one moment.
I had to leave early that night, but as I walked away, “NEVER ENOUGH” by Turnstile played in the background, echoing across the north of KU’s campus. It didn’t matter what my own music taste was, the pain burning in my feet, or the bug bites itching across my skin, all that mattered was the joy I felt from the people I was surrounded by. In a time where communities are torn apart by hate, the love from each concertgoer on that hill and watching from outside the fence under the Campanile bell tower made Day on the Hill worth the 19-year hiatus.