Dillon Francis headlines first campus concert in 13 years

Closing out orientation week, WUSA and its partners invited American electronic DJ and producer Dillon Francis as the headliner of the first concert on campus in over a decade.

Francis has been a popular performer in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene for over a decade, known mainly for his trap and bass music. Francis is touring globally performing at the largest festivals across the world including Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) and Tomorrowland. He also amassed a large following on social media, including 1.7 million followers on TikTok.

The event opened its doors at 6:15 p.m., letting concertgoers into the ground behind the Feridun Hamdullahpur Field House. Local DJs Twenty Five Roses and Tys Loyens opened for Francis. 

Francis performed for nearly two hours, mixing in top 40 hits, throwbacks, and his own music. Though for keen eyed fans of Francis, there was a noticeable lack of references to illicit drugs in his set. A video on TikTok shows Francis being told specifically not to swear on the mic, followed immediately by another video of him doing exactly that at the concert. A statement from WUSA said that there were no restrictions to Francis from their end. No one from the university was available for comment at the time of publication. 

For those wanting a break, amenities were available on the opposite side of the field, offering meat and plant based hot dogs as well as outdoor activities. “The [hot dog] was really yummy,” said Jody Zhong, a second year health sciences student. An exclusive zone sponsored by CIBC included light up swings and seating.

According to WUSA, more than 3,000 tickets were sold for the event. “The concert was a success, thanks to the work of our team here at WUSA, the university’s Student Success Office, and the orientation team,” said WUSA in an emailed statement. “The energy and enthusiasm we saw from the audience was incredible.  It was amazing to see a concert on campus again after a decade without.”

Immediate reactions were quite positive. Students shared positive thoughts about the event and music. “I was a bit nervous and anxious [initially] but the concert warmed me up and like it got really, really fun,” said Ethan Chen, a 1A computer engineering student. “A few mosh pits opened up, and I thought I would fall over each time but I had a great time,” said Riley Clark-Baba, a second year accounting and financial management student (AFM) student. 

Some people who attended the concert commented about the crowd being rowdy and pushing. “I’m short, and I was almost on the ground,” said Mona Afshar, a second year systems design engineering student. “Tying your shoe was a death sentence,” said Dylan Nagel, a second year computer science student. However, this comment was challenged by Sydney Lee, a second year AFM student: “One of my friend’s bent down and then everyone made a circle around her so they could protect her.” Clark-Baba commented about the difficulty of finding water at the concert: “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have [a water station] closer because it does get really hot in [the crowd].” There was a water station located at the rear of the venue close to the food station that was about 60 metres away from the front of the stage.

Some students noted that the music ended quite early, with Dillon Francis leaving the stage around 10:30 p.m. This is despite the fact that WUSA in social media posts said it was scheduled to end at 11 p.m. and the permit issued by the city of Waterloo was granted a noise bylaw exemption until 11 p.m.

WUSA stated that although there are no future concerts planned currently, they have heard feedback from students expressing interest in having large events on campus. WUSA stated they are “optimistic [students] see another concert on Waterloo’s campus in the future!” WUSA also said that any feedback about the concert is welcome via email at feedback@wusa.ca.