Before I left my dorm to head out to SpringFest on Sunday afternoon, I could hear the thumping bass and energetic cheers from the crowd of hundreds of students that gathered on Chapels Field. The perimeter of the area was dotted with various clubs' and organizations' tables laden with everything from sex toys courtesy of Student Sexuality Information Service's Sex Olympics to free pizza and face paint. The stage at the far end of the field dominated the scene, and music played continuously from around 2 p.m. until nearly 6 p.m.Students, obviously glad that spring had finally arrived, milled around in bright outfits and painted faces or sunned themselves on blankets at the far end of the field. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, nodding their heads in time with the music and generally enjoying themselves.

The three bands hired to play SpringFest-Dom, of Montreal and Far East Movement-were the stars of the event. Dom, a self-proclaimed garage/glam band from Worcester, Mass., appeared on stage first. The eponymous lead singer had a unique voice, lazily singing catchy lyrics in an unexpected falsetto and bopping about to drummer Bobby K.'s rhythms. Their show was a great beginning to what became a warm and carefree spring day.

After Dom performed, of Montreal, a band from Athens, Ga., took the stage. Of Montreal turned out to have the opposite of Dom's easygoing manner. The band's show felt like a performance art exhibit, featuring several individuals who danced and performed other generally silly acts with the band as part of their show. These acts included a stylized wrestling reenactment during one instrumental song, in which two costumed men pretended to beat one another to win a title belt. Another featured people in skin-tight pink body suits complete with gigantic plastic breasts and shiny blue capes.

I wasn't sure what to make of all of this at first. In the age of Lady Gaga, performance art and traditional concerts are becoming more blended than ever before. I decided that this wacky band's music is a fun spectacle without necessarily the substance of a real story or narrative to back it up. Most of its music seemed based around these silly gimmicks instead of the other way around.

The final performer of the afternoon, Far East Movement, was certainly the most well-known of the three bands. Unlike the other bands, whose members showed up in more eclectic and casual styles, the band members entered the stage wearing bow ties, suit jackets and suspenders. Despite their buttoned-down attire, the band immediately began pumping up the audience, commanding call-and-repeat chants and jumping up and down.

The band's music has a strong electronica dimension, and most of the members' singing is obscured by Auto-Tune and synthesizers. Much of the Far East Movement's performance consisted of remixed versions of classic hip-hop and dance music, such as the Beastie Boys song they opened with. Of their original lyrical content, three themes seem to preside: partying, girls and drinking. Lead singer Kev Nish continually shouted out words of encouragement to the dancing crowd in front of him, such as "Put your hands in the air!" and "Let me hear you scream!" Those in attendance were happy to comply.

Overall, the afternoon was an enjoyable diversion from the last few weeks of school. Although the performers may not have been particularly memorable, the event certainly was.