The hype for The Associated Student Program Board’s (ASPB) Spring Splash across other years mainly relied on a stronger lineup, such as headliners like Lil Tecca for last year’s Spring Splash and Baby Keem in 2022. This year, that excitement relied on enjoying the free giveaways, going on rides and grabbing a bite to eat with friends.
Held on Saturday, May 17, Spring Splash was highly anticipated by many students who wanted the event to provide a break from the demands of spring quarter. With this outlook in mind, many students came with the intention to make the most of it. They planned to hangout with friends, make memories over good conversations, eat food, go on attractions and embrace musical acts.
Preceding a variety of performers, the prelude set before the opening artist was hosted by IV Wringley, who also played during the intermission of sets. The featured artists came on stage in the following order: Casey Baer, Zacari, William Black, Rachel Chinouri and headliner Swae Lee, who closed out the night with well-known anthems like “Sunflower” and “Calling (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).”
The marketing for this year’s Spring Splash was themed, “Under the Sea,” which was well-received by some. Some dressed accordingly while others slightly dejected the theme who believed it was regurgitated from the past. The event’s promotional artwork featured whale-comed blue hues, cod fishes and tuna cans. Aside from being unmistakably visible in ASPB’s social media, the theme’s only real indicators that stood out were starfishes and netting on the water station booths.
Line
Eager to explore the grounds that this year’s Spring Splash had to offer, concert-goers of ASPB events were in line hours before the expected start time set at 4:30 p.m. Students arrived as early as 10 a.m. Although there was a rough wait for those awaiting early admission, this wasn’t the case for everyone. Many began lining up closer to the scheduled gate-opening time without having to wait as long as required in previous years.
Similar to the line formation of past events, the line for Spring Splash started at the lawn space between the Student Success Center and Sproul Hall. It then curved towards the courtyard of the Interdisciplinary South and North buildings. Starting on schedule, the check-in and brief security screening process started at 4:30 p.m. Attendees entered calmly, following the clear instruction of ASPB personnel to enter in order. Since gate crews were efficient with bag checks and getting people past the metal detectors, students rapidly accessed the venue.
Merchandise
Teased days ahead of the event, the released merchandise proved to be a starting point for those entering the concert grounds. The promotion tent located at the Highlander Union Building (HUB) lawn was crowded with people hoping to get a hold of exclusive t-shirts at a limited capacity count of 700. Promptly dispersed after over an hour, many flaunted their success by wearing the t-shirts over what they had on.
ASPB’s sponsors’ booths on the HUB lawn also received more engagement than past events. Attendees made their way through the Raising Canes booth to receive a dog keychain, lanyard or small wallet. Other sponsors such as Rockstar Energy Drink, Sour Belts, Adobe, Elala and Goldenvoice provided generous goodies for students to take. The Sour Belts booth gave out four to five bags of candy to each student and ran strong from 4:30 p.m. to 7:07 p.m. Other booths were a big hit amongst students, with many carrying their free boba from the Doordash booth, snacking on Doritos from Goldenvoice and sipping on a Rockstar Focus Energy Drink.
Amenities and Activities
ASPB offered a plethora of well-liked activities incorporated in past events, consisting of access to a photo booth and a VR headset booth. They even brought back attractions, such as The Sizzler and Ballistic Swings on Pierce Lawn. Well-received, these attractions garnered consistent lines for the duration of the event. The excitement for these activities didn’t diminish thanks to the efficiency of lines allowing attendees to enjoy everything without long waiting times.
Food Options
Keeping Highlanders well-fed, the available food options consisted of Pucker Up Lemonade, Fries Galore, The Big Easy Sandwich, Packin’ Bowls, Refi Snacks, Ube Bread Box, The Sweet Shop, MK’s kitchen, Burning Buns, Bernie’s, Salt n’ Pepper and Red’s Pizza. LA hotdogs & munchies turned out to be absent for the event. The menus all offered a great range of bowls, sandwiches and fries, amongst other hot meals. The dessert offerings were aligned closely with the spring season, but unfortunately would have been enjoyed more if the cold and cloudy weather didn’t dampen the experience. The water station also operated efficiently, with ASPB staff filling cups to have on standby, which helped mitigate long lines, as people were able to easily grab a cup and go on their way.
Reception and Interviews
From early impressions to event day responses, this year’s Spring Splash surprisingly met expectations of most students in a brief interview. The overall consensus was that this year’s Spring Splash picked up more efficiency since last year. There were only some hiccups arising as disruptions near the stage, long lines and discoordinated operation of booths. Initially, the lineup felt underwhelming, but at the event some students shared that they still appreciated listening to live performances. Many expressed that Spring Splash gave them a much needed break and a chance to embrace the communal aspect of ASPB’s concert events. Some students also complimented the spaced out arrangement of booths and food which created a comfortable atmosphere that was easy to navigate. A third-year student shared, “The vibes are the same as every year. But I’m just here because I get FOMO (fear of missing out).” Other students shared this same sentiment, speaking out in hopes that ASPB dives into new themes in the future.
Musical Performances
If the music of 2025’s Spring Splash could be summed up in a simple word, it would be “eclectic.” With songs and acts ranging from the indie-breakup ballads of Rachel Chinouriri to the hardcore rhythms of dubstep by William Black and even the recognizable rap pieces of Swae Lee, the tunes of the event undoubtedly delivered a variety of genres. Given the enthusiasm of the crowd through most of the sets, the lineup of Spring Splash certainly mirrored the wide array of music that students at University of California, Riverside (UCR) are heavily fond of.
Casey Baer opened for a Spring Splash with a short, but sweet set. Despite her brief appearance, Baer brought an acoustic, stirring performance that matched the gloomy afternoon weather. Entwining a guitar-led folk sound, verses of heartbreak and a brown suede outfit to match, Baer was a slow yet welcoming buildup to the chaotic sounds of the following performances.
The crowd, although small at first due to students continuing to enter the event, gradually began to build up until her last act. Baer went out with a bang with her final song, “Never Have I Ever,” in which she belts out lyrics of heartbreak and rejection akin to a track off a Taylor Swift album. As brief as her performance was, Baer struck a chord with the audience with tracks that unrequited lovers can most likely relate to.
Zacari followed suit with an explosive performance. While Zacari was placed as second act for the venue despite his discography consisting of contributions to some of the most influential artists in the world today, he was still a fan favorite for many. He wasted no time winning the approval of the crowd with his opening set of “LOVE,” a track that’s just as recognizable for those well versed with Kendrick Lamar. Alongside this, Zacari made numerous shoutouts to his label — Top Dawg Productions — alongside singing tracks of his own such as “Mixed Emotions” and “Bliss.”
With a backup band consisting of wah-wah pedalled guitars and drums, many of his songs threaded into the realms of neo-psychedelic, R&B and soul. “LoneWolf Still,” a song propelled by 808s, was rendered into a slow, hard rock-like composition given the presence of instruments. His final song was a completely new project that – just like all of his other tracks that were performed – was well-received by the crowd. Audience members took a liking to the singer, most notably citing his voice as a favorable part of his performance.
After a short break, William Black took the stage with pulsating EDM that heavily reflected UCR’s affinity to rave culture. It was certainly a crowd-puller, with many raising up and down all the while synchronizing to the beat. Uptempo and epileptic, many of Black’s compositions were backed by screens displaying brain rot and media familiar to Gen-Z such as anime, K-Pop, video games, shows and more. Black’s act traveled into somewhat humorous irony, such as when he made a beat drop to a flashing screen that plainly stated that they do not have any accompanying visuals.
Samples from songs such as “Still Into You” by Paramore and “Like a G6” by Far East Movement were enveloped in thumping bass of dubstep. With a performance amplified by smoke and visuals, Black’s performance was nothing short of enticing, both musically and optically. Black’s setlist included some unreleased tracks as well. It was perhaps one of the longest sets of the concert, but was well justified by the high turnout of audience members vibing with his songs.
Rachel Chinouriri, an English indie singer-songwriter who is currently in the middle of her American tour, made a stop to perform during Spring Splash, and her show was nothing short of cathartic. Many of the songs within her set focused on her personal experiences with boys and relationships in a way that evokes the lyrics of a Sabrina Carpenter song, albeit with a sound similar to The Beaches.
Although “23-42” and “Can We Talk About Isaac?” were heavy hitters with the crowd, “Everything I Ask” seemed to be the highlight of the set as audience members participated in synergic call and response.Although “23-42” and “Can We Talk About Isaac?” were heavy-hitters within the crowd in which many of them two-stepped in the vein of Chinouriri, “Everything I Ask” seemed to be the highlight of the set as audience members participated in synergic call and response. The set did include some slower and reflective songs such as “My Everything,” but the overall atmosphere of her performance was mostly enthusiastic. Albeit some technical difficulties, she was able to finish off her final song with as much grace and flair as possible, securing her spot as a memorable performer of the event.
Swae Lee, the headliner and last performer of the concert, made an unforgettable entrance wearing a UCR hoodie, both as a representation of the university and as a response to the chilly night time weather. Many people poured into stands and at times overflowed into the pavements near the Bell Tower to hear Swae Lee’s songs at his loudest. After throwing his hoodie into the crowd, Swae Lee turned his performance up to 11 with popular tracks such as “Come Get Her” and “No Flex Zone” while sporting a tank top and shorts.
As his performance went on, Swae Lee arrived at a completely shirtless look. Amidst this, he made numerous shoutouts to UCR and its students, particularly urging the seniors to “finish strong.” A standout part of his performance happened while singing “Sunflower,” a song made famous by its presence in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” The overall loose vibe of the concertgoers was accompanied by visuals that heavily replicated the art style of the film.
Near the end of the song, Swae Lee decided to let the audience sing it by themselves. The crowd didn’t disappoint, reciting each lyric word-for-word and with near-perfect pitch, earning praise from Swae Lee himself. His inclusion of tracks such as “This Could be Us” and “Black Beatles” symbolized his humble beginnings and was equally just as adored by the crowd. His set additionally consisted of new tracks in collaboration with other artists such as Rich the Kid. Swae Lee’s final song of the night was an unreleased track featuring Metro Boomin in which he complimented UCR students for bringing unmatched energy, referring to them as “one of the top five schools” he’s ever performed in.
Concert staff should have just as equal commendation as the performers themselves. With American Sign Language (ASL) translators working alongside security ensuring the safety of attendees, the focus of the concert never seemed to stray from guaranteeing the overall enjoyment of everyone in the event. Despite a few hiccups, the sound technicians played as much of an essential role when it came to providing a coherent level of noise to be enjoyed by listeners. Overall, the concert was run in a way that’s precise yet satisfying for all involved.
When asked about the overall satisfaction with the lineup, students pointed out Swae Lee as their primary reason for attending the show. Some students suggested the presence of artists such as Travis Scott, Doechii, and even past performers such as Wallows to play at the next Spring Splash. That isn’t to say that students were entirely unenthusiastic with the other performers, with many of them dancing along to the music despite never having heard them before.
