It was as if Mother Nature herself wanted the fourth day of Common Ground be shut down. But despite the weather, the festival successfully proceeded as scheduled.
Friday at 5:00 p.m., the heavens opened up as rain, hail and winds tormented festival-goers and devastated stages in the early part of the day.
"I actually got lifted off the ground trying to hold my tent down," Tyler Picard of Pro Dynamics, the company in charge of setting up for most stages, said. "The hail was crazy."
A 90-degree day turned cloudy, and immediately people scattered to shelter. Large hail pellets and strong winds quickly drenched all who weren't covered and destroyed the rest of the set-up.
After the tempest passed, Tyler's crew proceeded to clean up for the next two and a half hours, resetting amplifiers, replacing tattered banners, and ensuring that the stages and equipment were safe to use.
Shortly, the clouds vanished, and the festival resumed in full force following the diligent work of festival employees and volunteers.
"We fixed what we could, got rid of what was broken, and the show goes on," Picard said.
If you are in the field please head to the pavilion tent in the back of the field. It will pass.
— Common Ground Fest (@CGMusicFest) July 8, 2016
From there, the flooding crowds poured in, all lined up at the main stage to see the night's headliner, ASAP Rocky. Many in attendance had gotten to the festival hours before showtime to stake out their spots. While waiting for the storm to subside, however, those fans lost their placement towards the front of the line, setting up groups of anxious, die-hard ASAP Rocky fans jockeying for position.
Luke Van Ess arrived at the grounds at 1 p.m., long before the festival gates even opened. For the four-time festival-goer, it was ASAP Rocky he wanted to see, and Van Ess was ready to run for his well-earned spot against the stage.
"Being front row," Van Ess said in response to what he was most excited about. "I just really like ASAP's music; it's going to be hype."
Cleanup crews raked down the grass towards the front of the stage as hordes awaited the mad sprint that would ensue for front-row spots. In the background, a closely positioned fan hollered what was on everybody's mind: "Front row!" The crowd straightened up, not one person wanting to be a second slow starting the race.
"We're ready to race," Van Ess's friend Aaron Cross said, assuming a similar launching position to those beside him. "We're ready as soon as they tell us."
Soon enough, the free-for-all happened, and the crowd stampeded the main stage, which first would host Blake Wilson, followed by French Montana and ending with ASAP Rocky. The attendance at ASAP Rocky was unmatched on the day, and as his show concluded, the crowd left satisfied.
But for others, the main stage notables weren't even on the top of their list.
Detroit rapper Black Milk with his band Nat Turner attracted an extremely passionate crowd to dance along to his eccentric sound, selectively incorporating elements of jazz, techno and hip-hop.
Longtime fan and friend BJ Kalahiki bought his ticket as soon as he saw Black Milk on the festival lineup, without even considering the short walk to hear ASAP Rocky.
"Man, Black Milk first of all is an artist for the people," Kalahiki said, a follower for nearly ten years. "He speaks about social problems going on, and he writes to beat, and he's his own producer... When I heard (Black Milk) was coming to Common Ground, I said, 'Man, forget ASAP. I'm going to see Black Milk.'"
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The last performing artist of the night was DJ Quik, a Compton beat-maker most famous for his involvement with west coast hip-hop legends, such as N.W.A., 2Pac and Snoop Dogg. After DJ Quik bid adieu to his fan base, Adado Riverfront Park emptied out the final listeners, all dry and having forgotten the damper of the day's beginning.
"I think (the rain) made it better," Van Ess said. "It makes it more of an experience."
