Eagle Radio Music Festival Draws in Hundreds to its 7th Annual Festival
Students attended the 7th annual Eagle Radio Music Festival on March 23. Attendees listened to 10 music groups and artists perform live on the library lawn.
April 10, 2023
FGCU’s Eagle Media held its seventh annual Eagle Radio Music Festival on Thursday, March 23.
The show included 10 music groups and artists performing live on stage. Each act energized the crowd in their own way and drew in an attendance of more than 276 people. The event had a variety of attractions, such as three food trucks, airbrush tattoos, a photo booth, and by far the most popular, a caricature artist.
Each musical artist brought their unique sound to the stage. From solo artists to rock bands and rap groups, the lineup was diverse from start to finish.
The artists included: Next Gen, Jessie King, Ralph Curtis, SigFlo, Jo.flp, Billie Rose, Gudfellas, Mingo Drive, Divine Intervention and DONEFOR.
Joey Percoco, known as Jo Flp, is a melodic rap artist. He performed earlier in the evening and got the crowd on its feet. When discussing what artists inspire and motivate him, he spoke about the rapper Juice WRLD.
“Growing up, he was always my favorite artist. I loved watching him work and his sound in the studio was inspirational to me. The way that he was able to vocally express his emotions in a song is so inspirational, it was beautiful,” Percoco said.
The event took place from 7-10 p.m. on the library lawn. Eagle Media students volunteered and helped make the event go as smoothly as possible. Admission was also free, so students and families could come and enjoy the show.
Creflo Adderley, known as SigFlo, and Jim Marci, both lit up the stage as part of Baha Mafia.
Marci enjoys being able to express himself through music.
“Honestly, for me, I want to say the adrenaline I get from making a song. Me being able to put on paper how I feel and being able to add aggression or to play with the words and the bravado it’s the best,” Marci said.
Adderley left some advice for artists who are struggling to keep going.
“If you have a dream or a goal, go after it. Don’t let nobody stop you from doing what you’ve got to do because, at the end of the day, it’s your dream. You gotta go after what you want, no matter what anybody says or thinks,” Adderley said.
Stephanie Albors, a major in psychology and minor in education, enjoyed the festival but wished there was more water.
“There are only a couple of coolers out here. We’re in Florida, it doesn’t even matter that it’s nighttime. It’s hot, people are dancing around. We need water out here and bug spray,” Albors said.
However, Albors said she’d come to next year’s festival.
“Some free music, free food and on campus, it’s the most accessible thing for anyone to come out to,” Albors said.
The most popular attraction at the festival was the caricature artist. There was a continuous line all night of students waiting for Michael White. He’s the artist in charge of making FGCU students smile for the past 10 years.
He has been an artist all his life, dating back to when he was 2 years old. By 14, he was winning awards and painting murals at health food stores and churches. He then became the youngest courtroom sketch artist ever, with his sketches appearing in the 1979 edition of the Rock Hill Evening Herald.
White enjoys drawing at FGCU; he loves the bright-eyed, optimistic faces of the student body. It’s one of the many reasons he continues to return to the university.
“Young people don’t always realize how magical they are just by existing. They give us ‘older cats’ a reminder of our past, and a positive promise of the future,” White said.
White made a point to get to know everyone who came to his tent for a caricature. He was able to share his wisdom with them.
“If you know what you want, you will get it. The secret to success is a simple, three-step process. Find something you love, learn about it and the most important yet hardest thing is… just do it,” White said.
