<\/p>\n
Year after year, on a random walk through the Diag, you may hear the blare of speakers and turn your head to see picnic blankets and orderly lines of foldable tables set up on State Street. SpringFest has finally arrived. It\u2019s an event best when stumbled upon, and as live music floods your ears and the delicious smell of food vendors makes your stomach grumble, it\u2019s hard not to take part.<\/p>\n
As the name implies, SpringFest celebrates the transition into the warmer days. It provides an opportunity for the Ann Arbor community to reconnect with one another after being separated by the biting cold of winter. This year was no different; festival-goers were ready to celebrate the shy return of the sun, surrounded by physical and metaphorical warmth. The performances burst with the same renewed energy. One of the many University of Michigan clubs that took to the stage, Groove<\/a>, exemplified this in the pounding of their drumsticks. With an almost unnatural enthusiasm, they ran from trash cans to buckets to ladders, jumping back and forth as they hit each in sharp choreography.<\/p>\n At SpringFest, there\u2019s something for everyone: local bands highlight their original work or spin their own takes on well-worn classics, and the music is as diverse as the community it comes from. House party hit band \u201c998,805 Beers\u201d showed a veteran side \u2014 complemented by the professional setup of the MUSIC Matters\u2019 stage \u2014 they produced a polished take on indie rock, alternating between covers and originals. 512 did a beautiful cover of Geese\u2019s \u201cI See Myself,\u201d capturing the same energy of the original production but with more vigor in the barking vocals of the chorus. Payton&Annabelle provided a different sound, a tone more in character with fall than spring. They covered multigenerational hits like \u201c50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,\u201d by Paul Simon, and Natasha Bedingfield\u2019s \u201cUnwritten\u201d with an original mix of jazzy guitar, raspy vocals and pounding drums. <\/p>\n Behind the stage, on the intersection of State St. and N. University Ave. was a smattering of vendors. Food trucks were sold <\/strong>shaved ice, sliders and empanadas. Representatives from M-Dining handed out free tasters of campus-grown salsa, and a variety of organizations and businesses advertised themselves. By giving other student organizations \u2014 such as VIPs<\/a>, a\/squared<\/a>, the Michigan Songwriters Collective<\/a> and more \u2014 a chance to showcase their work, SpringFest reinforced <\/strong>a sense of community among University students, with some of them even competing in the event\u2019s annual wing-eating contest. <\/p>\n