On May 30, ASUCD Entertainment Council presents Lawntopia on the Quad for the second year running. This year’s free event will feature Bay Area hip-hop duo, Zion I.
Zion I, renowned duo of producer AmpLive and MC Zumbi from Oakland, Calif., debuted in 1997. In total, they have released over seven studio albums, their most recent EP releases being The Masters of Ceremony and Libations. In a phone interview, Zumbi talked about his music.
“It’s positive, but not radio, corporate hip hop. It’s soul music with a lot of bass. My intention is also to be reflective and introspective; I read and pray and meditate a lot and I think all that comes through in the music. It’s celebratory and party music but with a mindset,” Zumbi said.
Zion I has performed in Davis several times before. They will be including both well-known songs and newer material in the Lawntopia show.
Ben Bryan, a fourth-year managerial economics major, has been director of the Entertainment Council for the past school year. The first Lawntopia featured independent trio Radical Something, and the Entertainment Council has worked hard to surpass last year’s efforts.
“This year we wanted to do something a little bit bigger and really make sure it appeals to everybody,” Bryan said.
Lawntopia has already received a huge response from the Davis community, and the Entertainment Council is expecting a good turn out.
“We put out the [Facebook] event invite on Monday night and by Tuesday morning there were already 1,000 people attending so that’s pretty exciting for us,” Bryan said. “One of the reasons I love doing this is because, music’s my passion, I love music, but being able to set up the event, put it on and then go and see the look on everybody’s face when it all comes together, nothing’s better.”
The second installation of Lawntopia is a further step toward making the event even bigger in the future. UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara have annual music festivals Sun God and Extravaganza, respectively.
“Maybe next year it’s kind of this size and then the year after we could turn it into a festival like all the other UCs have,” Bryan said. “We’d be looking at bigger artists and more artists playing instead of just one or two.”
Andrea Hasson, a fourth-year clinical nutrition major, has been assistant director of the Entertainment Council for a year and a half. Hasson is responsible for booking the Quad shows and running volunteer meetings.
“It’s cool to see that you’ve organized something and people watching the music. This is probably the biggest event I’ve been part of on the Entertainment Council,” Hasson said.
Letty Uy, a second-year design major, is the online promotions director for the Entertainment Council. Uy is in charge of marketing Lawntopia through social media and posters, and her role allows her to utilize her design skills.
“I start out usually with a movie or a performer, so I would check out what the movie’s about, watch the trailer or look at the performers and listen to their music while I’m designing the poster, so just kind of the essence of what I’m designing for,” Uy said.
The Entertainment Council also hosts regular film screenings on campus.
“It’s such a great team, we’re all friends and that makes it really enjoyable. I just love doing the work, being involved in the music, and bringing events that people look forward to and have fun with,” Uy said.
For those who were disappointed by Holy Ghost’s recent cancellation, the band will be making an appearance next school year around Halloween time.
Lawntopia will take place on May 30 at 6 p.m. at the UC Davis Quad. Students will need to bring along their UC Davis Student ID to attend.
ZOE SHARPLES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
