Gearfest provides performance opportunities to USC musicians

Gearfest returned to campus this past Friday to honor and celebrate Black culture, bringing along exciting musical acts, celebrated student artists, delicious food items, vendors, and much more.

This year’s event was titled “The Get Down.” Hosted by USC’s Black Student Assembly and USC Creative Experience, the annual Gearfest was hosted from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event included a concert with headliners and student artists, screen printing with USC Visions & Voices, food trucks, a BSA Giveaway tent, a 360-degree photo booth.

The concert featured notable headlining acts, Washington D.C.-based musician IDK and Los Angeles-based D. Smoke, as well as talented USC student artists like Jamel, Jordyn Simone, and Anjre.

Gearfest is the premier USC concert event dedicated to celebrating Black art and culture with an emphasis on the student community and Black artists in South Central Los Angeles. Since 2010, Gearfest has put together a number of events creating a legacy which includes past headliners like Jhene Aiko, Bruno Mars, J. Cole, and SZA.

One of the USC student artists was Jamel, a senior business major and music industry minor. Jamel reminisced on how invigorated he felt when he attended Gearfest his freshman year.

“It’s cool to see it come full circle,” Jamel said.

Jamel, @ajealousrapper on Instagram, broke into the music industry at 15 by producing and transitioned into releasing his own tracks the following year. Jamel looked back on the six-and-a-half year career as a musician, and attributed the inspiration behind his music to his day-to-day life and feelings. He mentioned various creatives that inspire him: rappers like J. Cole, Russ, and Isaiah Rashad.

The young artist said his musical focus has changed throughout college. He first experimented with sound, but more recently, he’s shifted gears to stay true to himself. Jamel opened the concert with a mix of fan favorites and new tracks from his unreleased EP.

Jordyn Simone, a student at USC Thornton, also opened at Friday’s event. Simone, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, said she picked up her various talents after spending time as a musical theater performer in the LA area.

Students were also featured in the Cross Colours LA Fashion Show which occurred during the event, and the sounds were created by Effa and Anastazja.

Students were excited not just by the headliners, but also by the fact that the concert gave their own peers a chance to share their talents.

“I like that they had student performers and famous artists because I feel like that helps the student performance start their careers,” said sophomore Soley Liati.

Another aspect of the show she loved was the intimacy.

“I was so close I could see their faces and their facial expressions,” Liati said. “I could make eye contact with them and it made me feel so special.”

Jaren Savage, a USC student studying international relations, also attended Gearfest, and was inspired by the opportunity to meet other students in such a vibrant setting.

“It’s definitely wonderful to have experiences like Gearfest on campus,” he said. “I’ve met many new students and connections and I think it’s really wonderful.”

Savage hopes that the excitement of the event inspires more similar USC events to come in the future.

“[Gearfest was] a place where students can come and listen to music.”

Gearfest: The Get Down was a free event open to all USC students. No RSVPs were required and Trojan Checks were scanned at the door.