Spectators munched on food truck treats and watched acrobats perform dangerous and perplexing stunts — with the Cathedral of Learning as a backdrop — to the tune of live DJing during Bigelow Bash 2017.
Students lined up by the dozens at each of the 10 food trucks present on Bigelow Boulevard for Pitt Program Council’s third annual food truck festival during the 1 to 6 p.m. event Sunday. Spectators’ attention shifted between watching acrobat duo The Great DuBois and listening to music by 4udio L3gacy, MNDSGN, Cheat Codes and Mike Posner.
Pitt students could buy up to 10 $1 tickets to redeem for food samples from local vendors including Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck, PGH Crepes and Las Chicas. Emma Minck — a first-year civil engineering major — tried ribs, grilled cheese and chicken and waffles.
“For $1 each it was worth it for a college student,” Minck said. “I like that they’re having all these things right before finals. It’s nice to take a break.”
Pepsi — a partner of Pitt’s food and dining services — provided free drink samples at a tent on the William Pitt Union lawn.
The lawn was also the site of The Great DuBois’ acrobatic performances in between musicians’ sets on the stage on Bigelow.
For their first outdoor performance of the year, the duo — consisting of Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy — entertained passerby and stationary crowds with juggling, unicycling, fire-swallowing and aerial tricks with a suspended hoop and silk ropes.
The duo pulled student volunteers from spectators sitting on the the WPU lawn, including Chatham University sophomore human biology major Arum Krause. Krause tossed bowling pins to DuBois and eventually graduated to throwing knives his way — all while the performer balanced on top of a 6-foot unicycle.
“I usually don’t volunteer for these things, but someone had to go,” Krause said. “I was a little nervous at first but I had fun. Now I get to hang out for a while and listen to Mike Posner.”
The first two performers of the day were DJ 4udio L3gacy — winner of PPC’s Battle of the Bands in March — and WPTS-sponsored artist MNDSGN. Headliner Cheat Codes took to the stage next, channeling the audience’s energy by throwing them t-shirts and DJing electronic songs such as “SEX.”
Second headliner Mike Posner performed at 5 p.m. — after the food trucks cleared out — to a standing crowd of more than 700 people in addition to those sitting on the surrounding lawns and on the front steps of the Cathedral.
Posner encouraged the crowd to crank their energy to a 10 — and put down their phones — as he played originals including “In the Arms of a Stranger” and “Cooler than Me.” Early in the show, he covered “Black Beatles” by Fall Fest headliner Rae Sremmurd.
Posner also climbed the stage’s scaffolding during a saxophone solo from band member Jacob Scesney and stepped off the stage to run around the William Pitt Union lawn.
His energy continued as he performed fan-favorite “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” before an encore performance of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.”
First-year mechanical engineering major Josh Tarlo brought a blanket to Bigelow Bash and sat on Cathedral lawn before joining the crowd for Posner’s performance, dancing with his friends during the set.
“I already knew a few of his songs but I listened to him all day before coming,” Tarlo said. “I thought his set was really good and fun to dance to.”