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Flo Rida showered the front row with champagne after tossing roses, autographed tees and the shoes off his feet into the audience. Combining recent artists like Ryan Beatty with stars of the 2010s like Flo Rida, Juice Jam brought a sense of nostalgia and excitement to Skytop Field.

“When else do you get the opportunity to go to a music festival for $25 for food included?” said senior Blair Seaman. “And it’s literally only 15 minutes away from you. It’s a really beautiful opportunity.”

This year, Juice Jam featured headliner Flo Rida along with Denzel Curry, Ryan Beatty and Rachel Grae as opening acts. Student DJ Mark Samuel also played between each artist. After a rainy start, the skies cleared up, making way for SU and SUNY ESF students to swarm the stage to see their favorite artists.

Opening the event at 1:30 p.m., Rachel Grae played her most popular songs along with some unreleased tracks. After blowing up on TikTok in 2022 for her song “It’ll Be Okay,” she has quickly gained a devoted fan base, which she refers to as her “friend base.”

Grae spoke with the audience pressed up against the stage throughout her set, explaining the meanings of songs and expressing her love for the crowd.

“(Playing with Flo Rida is) a dream,” Grae told The Daily Orange. “If you told me this a few years ago, it would be a pinch-me moment, and it still is for me now.”

Before the high-tempo hits of Denzel Curry and Flo Rida, Ryan Beatty played some of his popular indie pop tracks. One of his more popular songs, “Bruises Off the Peach,” got the audience to sing along.

Juice Jam is an opportunity to come together with friends and connect with the campus community, sophomore Elizabeth Crandall said. Flo Rida was a staple of her childhood, she said.

“Flo Rida’s one of those artists, like Pitbull, everyone’s gonna like it, because everyone knows it,” Crandall said. “You hear Flo Rida’s in the set, you know you’re gonna have a good time. You don’t have to know all the songs.”

Attendees Ashlana Prashad and Faraz Lotfi also said Flo Rida was impossible to be unfamiliar with. Even if students don’t know who sang his songs, they still know the songs, Lotfi said.

Sophomore Jack Martel went to Juice Jam primarily for Flo Rida and Denzel Curry but said he was excited to see the other artists.

Denzel Curry hyped up the audience with some of his top hits, opening with “Walkin” and closing with “Ultimate.” At the end of his set, he introduced Flo Rida, working to bring the audience’s energy up.

“Usually when I go to a concert and I don’t know the person, I’ll end up listening to them.” Martel said. “The people who don’t come, it’s like, ‘what could you possibly be doing?’”

Hana Weiss graduated SU in 2023, but has remained in Syracuse pursuing a graduate degree at the university. She returns to Juice Jam each year because of the convenience and incredible opportunity to see artists she might not otherwise see. She compared Juice Jam to a music festival, with the food and merchandise available for purchase.

Freshmen Isabella Ierano and Filippo Dona said Juice Jam makes them excited for what’s to come. Dona added that while other events at the beginning of the year were fun, Juice Jam feels like something else entirely.

Nathan Ayotte also appreciated the different genres showcased at this year’s Juice Jam. He said the event began very mellow, with Rachel Grae and Ryan Beatty, but that Denzel Curry and Flo Rida pumped up the audience.

“So many artists are willing to come here because it’s Syracuse University and it’s just a good reminder of that school spirit and that we’re in such a big place,” Ayotte said.

Senior Seaman said she was excited to experience her last Juice Jam with her friends. The event is a full day of fun for a cheap price, and a great opportunity for students, she said.

“It’s sweet to know that these artists that we all knew and loved are now coming to perform with us when we’re in college,” said Seaman. “I feel like they’re growing up with us.”

Published on September 24, 2023 at 11:32 pm