Juice Jam 2023: A Beclouded Blowout
Whether or not you watched all four acts, Juice Jam 2023 was most likely a good time.
By John Turnham / Photos by Jeanisha Mariah / Graphic by Maxine Moses / Graphic Inspo by Lily Greco and Griffin Turner
On Sunday, September 24th, Juice Jam, an annual music festival held by University Union, saw artists Rachel Grae, Ryan Beatty, Denzel Curry, and Flo Rida perform under gray skies and intermittent rainfall.
Skytop Field began to have its first few students arrive by around 1:00 p.m., and 25 minutes later, when rising popstar Rachel Grae began her set, an intimate 150 or so audience members gathered around the stage.
Grae began with one of her biggest hits, “Friend Like Me,” and immediately sounded colorful and confident on the mic. Her band consisted of keyboard, electric guitar, and drums, which were more than enough to fill the field with a well-rounded sound.
Grae continued through her setlist, playing a mix of her singles, unreleased originals, and one cover. Her rendition of Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” ended with a pristine guitar solo, and her closing song, “You Suck,” featured a nice moment of chemistry between Grae and her drummer when she leaned into the drumkit, absorbing its energy.
Ryan Beatty was next on the bill, and wearing a gray windbreaker only a few shades darker than the sky, he began his set with the first five songs off of his 2023 LP, Calico.
Beatty was locked into his vocals, delivering beautiful renditions of each song and even giving stripped-back versions of older tracks like “Haircut” and “Evergreen.” Through closed eyes and introspective body language, Beatty delivered a delicate setlist, only interrupting the music to say, “Hello Syracuse University, thank you for having me” after the opening, and, “Thank you so much, clap for my band” after the final number.
Ryan Beatty and his band performing with the intimacy of a Tiny Desk Concert. Photo by Jeanisha Mariah.
While it was immensely clear that Beatty put his soul into the performance of some acutely personal tracks, it was also evident that the crowd wasn’t very engaged. Though the musical variety at Juice Jam 2023 was tremendous, the tenderness and intimacy of Beatty’s performance heavily contrasted the mood of the other performers.
Denzel Curry arrived on stage at 3:35 p.m., summoning intensity and drawing a larger crowd than earlier acts. After making the 1,400-mile journey from South Florida, Denzel said that he was, “Running off of coconut water and coffee,” and mentioned that he had only gotten three hours of sleep before the show. You would never have guessed it based on the energy he brought.
Curry got the crowd hyped and cracked jokes throughout the entirety of the setlist. The Florida rapper did the grand tour of his discography, playing songs from all of his studio albums, as well as features and singles. Staples such as “Walkin,” “BLACK BALLOONS,” “Ricky,” “Ultimate,” and “CLOUT COBAIN” brought the house down.
One girl in the audience exclaimed, “I could feel the thing at the back of my mouth shaking the whole time during Denzel Curry,” in reference to the thunderous act. The bass was bumping, and inevitably, a pit opened up.
Just before the show’s halfway point, as Curry’s 2018 track “SUMO” came on, the mosh pit opened up, and those brave enough to enter were left drenched in sweat in no time. Suddenly, the rainy afternoon didn’t feel so gloomy and cold.
At 4:45 p.m., the rain returned but that didn’t bother anyone, because Flo Rida had just taken to the stage. Donning a sleeveless Syracuse University hoodie, Flo rocked the stage for over an hour alongside DJ Chronic, his bassist, drummer, electric guitar player, and backup dancers. He also shared the stage with Oya Baby, a Carol City rapper signed to Flo’s label, who performed two tracks.
Flo Rida wielding his signature bedazzled microphone stand. Photo by Jeanisha Mariah.
The performance featured sixteen of Flo’s most popular songs, with the live instrumentation adding a necessary depth to the sound. Flo kept the crowd interested, inviting students on stage, throwing around roses and t-shirts, and spraying champagne.
Flo Rida often repeated the mantra, “This isn’t a performance, it’s a party.” He got everyone in the mood to party, and he also seemed very keen himself, asking about what the best frat house was to go to celebrate post-performance.