After nearly 20 years of absence, Day on the Hill has returned to KU with a stellar performance from Grammy-award-winning hardcore band Turnstile.
Day on the Hill is a storied outdoor music festival and concert tradition at the University of Kansas. Originally starting in 1992—famously launched with a historic Pearl Jam performance—the event ran for years before pausing. It had been nearly 20 years with no Day on the Hill when Turnstile took the stage with Die Spitz and Slayyyter.
Seated on my apartment balcony at 3:30 pm, I watched across the street as fans began lining up outside of the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium doors—although the event was actually held on the hill, fans had to funnel through the stadium’s security before leaving out the back exit to make it to the stage. It was nearly two hours before doors were opening, and fans were already excited to revive the forgotten tradition.
Turnstile, an American rock band from Baltimore, Maryland, was set to headline the historic event. The band consists of lead vocalist Brendan Yates, guitarists Pat McCrory and Meg Mills, bassist Franz Lyons, and drummer Daniel Fang and was formed in 2010. The band recently took home two Grammys, Best Rock Album for their latest album, “NEVER ENOUGH,” and Best Metal Performance for their single “BIRDS” earlier this year.
Despite Turnstile’s commercial success and large dedicated fan base, it was clear that a majority of fans were showing up for the second opener, Slayyyter, an American singer-songwriter from Kirkwood, Missouri—a suburb just west of St. Louis.
Her latest album, “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA,” achieved breakout success and has been a turning point in the singer’s lengthy career. At the beginning of the first openers set, the barricade was already occupied by fans wearing bunny ears and clothing decorated in dollar signs, both motifs found throughout Slayyyter’s latest album era.
As Die Spitz took the stage, the energy for the night was already set. The sun was still out, and the Slayyyter fans riding the rail didn’t fail to show up for the 4-piece rock band from Austin, Texas. At one point, Eleanor Livingston, the band’s frontwoman, came into the crowd and moshed with the fans after coming down to the barricade multiple times earlier in the set.
Slayyyter followed Die Spitz’s lively performance, opening with her song “DANCE…” She played a set of songs from her latest album and one song from her upcoming album that remixes the former. She was sporting knee-high black heeled boots, a polka dot tank top, a black sheer shawl, and a flowy polka dot skirt designed and hand-made by Yannah Bernelli.
Slayyyter’s creative direction, visuals, and fashion are all aspects of her artistry that make her a truly standout artist in the current scene. “brand new chanel$” was a standout track in her set; her phenomenal vocal performance mixed with the fans’ enthusiastic reception made for an amazing rendition.
When it came time for Turnstile’s set, the stage went dark, and the audience was met with the lights being dimmed, followed by “Dancing In The Dark” by Charlie Parker playing over the speakers. Drummer Daniel Fang walked out, illuminated only by the large screen behind him lit up with their brightly colored striped background. The track was replaced by the iconic humming that plays at the beginning of Turnstile’s track “BIRDS,” and Fang raised his arms above his head as the rest of the band filed onto stage, save for frontman Brendan Yates, who hadn’t yet made an appearance.
The rest of the band played the rest of the intro, and as the vocals came in, Brendan stood atop the drum riser and jumped onto the stage, launching into the rest of the song. The crowd was already full of crowd surfers and fans on the barricade engaging passionately with the performance.
About a minute in, during the breakdown, Brendan brought out Slayyyter onto the stage to perform their “BIRDS” remix together—Turnstile released a remixed version of their Grammy-winning album “NEVER ENOUGH,” each track featuring a different musical guest. This was the first time they had performed the track together, making a historic Day on the Hill even more historic.
They played mostly new tracks with a few older fan-favorites and deep cuts mixed in throughout the night. Turnstile has brought an old rotary phone to every show where fans are encouraged to leave voice recordings. These recordings played in between songs, accompanied by video footage from tour photographer and videographer Trevor Roberts. The different recordings and footage gave the night an emotional edge that felt incredibly special to KU specifically.
During the performance, the screen was utilized by displaying live camera footage taken by a team member who was in the crowd filming fans within the mosh pits. The entire performance was full of visuals that felt unique to Turnstile and what they stand for. Brendan Yates is an incredibly enamoring frontman, and backed by the other incredibly intertwined members of Turnstile, they make a live act you definitely don’t want to miss.