Having gone to UIC has given me a fair share of advantages/benefits, but few (if any) have been as cool as being able to see the likes of Kids These Days, Santigold, and Childish Gambino in a relatively small, somewhat intimate setting. So, I took full advantage of still having my i-card in my possession and made my way to Harrison Field to witness what turned out to be a kick-ass show.
Unluckily, I was not able to see Kids These Days that day, due to some transportation issues… But word around the venue said that, as usual, they killed it…
Santigold served as a very good sub-headliner for Spark in the Park. Although I don’t follow her music much these days, I did dig a fair bit of it when I was in college. Santigold came to the stage backed by a strange-looking band and some stern-faced dancers and killed it with the college crowd. Santigold’s act can be described as an embodiment of “Brooklyn hip-pop;” a funky/cool look paired with a ton of energy and good dancing music. Santigold’s set went through songs spanning her entire career, including “L.E.S. Artistes,” “Hold The Line,” and “Big Mouth” (among others). Towards the end of her set, she invited a bunch of those in attendance to accompany her onstage as she sang “Creator” in what was possibly her best performance of the night.
Dopeness Factor: 
Childish Gambino was the night’s headliner, and with good reason. The entertainment industry’s multi-faceted star came down to UIC and he sure brought his A-game. The set was largely based on standout tracks from his debut, mainstream album Summer Camp but also included material from the latest mixtape, Royalty, as well as older releases. Much to our surprise, Gambino included several songs from Culdesac, the mixtape that got him known as a rapper. Songs like “Freaks & Geeks” (see below), ” You See Me,” “Heartbeat,” “Do Ya Like,” and “Bonfire” drew some of the loudest responses from the crowd. For the encore, “Bino” came back with Royalty’s “One Up.” Also performed during the encore was
“Freaks & Geeks”:
“They Don’t Like Me” feat. Chance the Rapper
DOPENESS FACTOR:
