Entertainment

A concert like no other

Tens of thousands rock Jones Beach for inaugural Billboard Music Festival

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Jones Beach was transformed into an even bigger concert venue during Billboard’s Hot 100 Music Festival last weekend.

Multiple stages, pop-up bars and Billboard’s own Artist Village yacht made the state park feel like the set of an MTV music video. An estimated crowd of at least 40,000 filled the festival grounds over the course of the two-day event, which was held for the first time.

Artists and fans alike expressed what the weekend meant to them. “I’ve been to so many shows at Jones Beach, it was an honor to be able to perform here,” said the masked electronic performer known as Mysterio from the act Fight Clvb. Both members of the group, Mysterio (who wouldn’t reveal his real identity) and Stephen Alex Vasquez, live in Queens.

“I loved having such big names at Jones Beach,” said Kourtney Williamson, 21, of Seaford. “Everyone knows the hit song, ‘Where Are You Now,’ and to see it live and see how crazy the crowd went was awesome.” Williamson referred to the song that EDM artist Skrillex and pop star Justin Bieber performed together Sunday night at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, the main stage of three.

There were a total of 51 acts over the weekend, with music virtually non-stop on the three stages from 1 to 11 p.m. each day. Two female concert-goers were reportedly injured when rapper Fetty Wop jumped off the stage during a Sunday afternoon performance. His half-hour performance drew a large crowd.

Friends Raven Horowitz and Lexi Larsen, both 16, of Merrick, spoke about how much they looked forward to seeing Bieber, as well as Fetty Wap and Nicki Minaj. Throughout the day they ended up getting introduced to new artists they would have otherwise overlooked, such as Fight Clvb.

This specific performance in which they were introduced to the duo included singing, dancing and Mysterio acting as the “hypemaster.” This consisted of him doing whatever he could to get the crowd moving, which included tossing freshly grilled cheeseburgers into the crowd. “We try to bring a cinematic experience to every performance,” he said.

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