IN PHOTOS: Lights on the Lawn 2022

After a brief hiatus, Lights on the Lawn returns for its 10th anniversary.

Two Friends perform at Lights on the Lawn, as photographed on Sept. 16, 2022 (Hustler Multimedia/Narenkumar Thirmiya)

By Nikita Rohila and Narenkumar Thirmiya

Sep 30, 2022

Vanderbilt hosted its annual fall benefit concert, Lights on the Lawn, on Sept. 16 on Alumni Lawn. The lineup this year featured Two Friends, MC4D, Jacob Stallings, Brink and Bad Color. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event, as well as the first time it was held in person since 2020.

First held in 2012, this event raises money to support survivors of sexual and domestic abuse. All profits go towards the Mary Parrish Center, an organization providing housing, support and resources for survivors. LOTL has raised over $650K over the past 12 years. This year, the concert was sponsored by QNTM Fit Life and Bread Financial.

The concert was originally scheduled earlier this year on April 16., but scheduling and religious conflicts delayed it to Sept. 16. This year brought exhilarating outdoor performances from Two Friends and their openers. The openers played dance remixes of various popular songs, accompanied by vibrant lighting that illuminated the crowd.

Some of the highlights of Two Friends’ set included dance remixes of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U”. They capped off the night with “Dancing Queen” by ABBA.

About the Contributors

Nikita Rohila, Senior Staff Photographer

Nikita Rohila ('25) is from a small town in Arkansas and is majoring in psychology and medicine, health and society in the College of Arts and Science. She previously served as Deputy Photography Editor. During her free time, she enjoys roaming around the city and getting cinematic-style shots for her photography account. You can reach her at [email protected].

Narenkumar Thirmiya, Staff Photographer

Narenkumar Thirmiya ('24) is from Orlando, Fla., and is majoring in neuroscience and medicine, health, and society in the College of Arts and Science. When not shooting for The Hustler, he is streaming TV, playing the piano or guitar or exploring nature photography. You can reach him at [email protected].

Comments (1)

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Michal

2 years ago

I was at the Two Friends concert on September 16, 2022. I was at the very front, house left (stage right) in the center, in the corner of two barricades. I’ve been to many concerts in the past and have experienced crowds, but what happened at this concert was not normal, nor should it be.

Everything was fine during the first two opening DJs, but during MC4D’s set people started crowding in. At this point, everything was still fine, but people started pushing to the front, and problems with the barricades started to arise.

It was 9:33 PM, less than three minutes into Two Friends’ set when security guards had to physically hold the barricades together. One of them kept saying that it was “broken and unstable” and was a “very dangerous situation” for those at the front where I was standing. A campus security officer came over and suggested using zip ties, but that failed. Later the barricades were able to be secured, but that wasn’t the end of the problems at this concert.

At around 9:58 PM, people at the front were being completely crushed against the barricades, more so than I’ve experienced at any concert I’ve been to in the past. I literally couldn’t move or put my arms down. Security was frantically yelling into their radios about the situation, and concertgoers behind me were yelling for help. I distinctly remember one security guard yelling, “Stop! Move back! You’re crushing her!” She was referring to me.

At 10:02 PM, the show was stopped. My friend and I got seperated due to people cutting in between us. The MC told everyone to move towards the outside, which was a good thing, but people barely moved. He then joined in the crowd’s “USA” chant rather than trying to fix the situation. While the show was stopped, security had to carry people over the barricades and out of the crowd.

The show continued at around 10:04 PM, and the conditions only slightly improved. The crew had to move large equipment crates into the aisle to keep the barricades from falling apart. It was a good thing that security and the crew were handing out free water to people in the crowd who needed it. This continued for the rest of the show.

I’m sure a lot of what happened was out of the crew’s control, but the situation could’ve been prevented or at least handled better. The music was great, but I hope there will be improvements for next year.