Good music, good beer and good friends can make any night festive. These factors may have been enough for Rival Fest. The music festival was held at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans the night before the LSU v. Tulane football game. For the festival’s first year, Rival Fest’s owner Aric Webb said he tried to bring people together to enjoy a night before a classic rivalry. “My partner and I graduated from LSU, and other people I work with graduated from Tulane,” Webb said. “We are all very passionate about one team, so Rival Fest was something both sides could enjoy.” It has been 13 years since the teams played one another in New Orleans. “And the game was finally back home in the Superdome,” he said. “What’s not to celebrate?” Even while standing outside the Contemporary Arts Center, music could be heard. Inside, bare brick walls harbored four bars, a merchandise stand and a visible gaming area. In the back of the building, the Benjy Davis Project played. Despite air conditioning, the crowd and the band sweatbeneath colored stage lights. Lauren Barrett, New Orleans native, and Dan Dyer, former front man for Breedlove performed early in the evening. Exiting from the back of the building, a white tent intended for VIPs protected free beer, couches and a live stream of the concert on plasma TVs. Outside the tent, WOW Café and Wingery served chicken and jambalaya, an Abita bar served beer and a boy with glasses was being followed by an MTV “MADE” cameraman. The episode’s theme was “from geek to chic,” where a coach attempted to get an awkward boy his first date and first kiss. Back inside, Cowboy Mouth started playing in the dark. When the lights turned on, the drummer and frontman Fred LeBlanc threw drum sticks into the crowd and grabbed another pair. The crowd screamed, and the band played on. The event opened at 5:30 p.m. with happy hour, a two-hour period when beer and food was free. Barrett performed during that time. Next, Dyer had an acoustic performance. “Dan Dyer was probably my favorite,” Tulane fan Matt Garner said. “He was really, really good to watch.” After six hours of drinking, however, the crowd started to thin. “I think the festival was a success,” said bartender Sarah Forrest. “But it’s 11:45 [p.m.], and it’s already dying down. But it’s been steady all night.” Webb said he was amazed by the event’s turnout. “This kind of thing had never happened in New Orleans before,” he said. “We catered to multiple audiences, alumni and fans alike.” Webb also said the sponsors were very happy and were glad they participated. He held limited expectations for the first festival. “For our first year, all we wanted to do was break-even,” Webb said. “And that is exactly what we did.” Because of the events success, he said he is already planning more Rival Fests. “I’m thinking the Sugarbowl,” he said. “This would be a great year for Rival Fest to welcome the Sugarbowl, too.”
—-Contact Ashley Norsworthy at [email protected]