Bass was bumping and lights were flashing in the Isla Vista Community Center parking lot on Feb. 23 as local bands and DJs showcased their skills to secure performance spots at the Spring Festival. Around 100 people attended the performances Sunday evening.
The Spring Festival is an alternative event hosted by the Isla Vista Community Services District during Deltopia. Courtesy of Antonio Ruelas
The Spring Festival is an alternative event hosted by the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) during Deltopia — I.V.’s annual unsanctioned street festival. In a tradition that began in 2022, IVCSD held the competition for bands and DJs to perform on April 5.
After a first round of public voting online, local bands Wahoo, Day Trip, Danny Vista, Stand By and Putty as well as DJs Konvikt, Kings Club, Rajanno and KHP competed.
Wahoo won the best overall act, judged by a five-person panel and will receive a $1,500 music video. The panel included local DJ Darla Bea, Santa Barbara City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, freelance videographer Jonathan Hernandez, former County Supervisor Das Williams and rapper Mario Hernandez-Pacheco, who goes by Sadboy Loko.
Contestants were judged on a variety of criteria including style, stage presence and audience engagement, according to Bea.
“I’m looking at stage presence, how tight their set is, if they have banter on the microphone, how much they engage the audience … How pulled together are they as a unit?” Bea said.
Vendors sold food, clothes and glitter tattoos. Many audience members watched from the grass while others took to dancing in front of the stage. Acts alternated between bands and DJs, with music always playing.
Williams said the event was valuable to the community and local music scene.
“All the best things that happen in I.V. happen because there’s healthy activity [and] fun things to do,” Williams said.
Event organizers said an overarching goal of the event was to breathe life into the local music scene.
“I hope that … the music scene stays elevated, you know, stays on top of it,” Santa Barbara City College second-year marketing major William Davis, who was involved with producing and promoting the event, said.
Festival ordinances in 2024 banning paid ticketing for parties — where many bands and DJs performed — have greatly hurt the I.V. music scene, Davis said.
“Ever since the paid-for parties stopped becoming a thing, a lot of people have just ignored this as a place to really start making a name for themselves,” Davis said.
Second-year physics and computer engineering double major Antonio Ruelas, who was the main organizer of the event, said he was inspired to put the competition together by American DJ, record producer and UCSB alum Steve Aoki’s musical presence in I.V.
“There’s so many great people or great artists who came out of [I.V.] … And it came to me like there isn’t really something within our community that’s really fostering that growth,” Ruelas said. “I wanted there to be an event where IVCSD could help foster that growth and only help more artists get their name out there.”
Lead singer of the winning band Wahoo and second-year communication major Matthew Diaz, said the competition was fun and that the Spring Festival will be a great opportunity to get exposure and have fun.
“For me, [winning] would mean I get to spend more time with [my friends] … A lot of these bands were amazing tonight, and I’d really appreciate it if we did win,” Diaz said.
A version of this article appeared on p. 7 of the Feb. 27, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.
