North Texas Daily

By Julia Falcon and Haley Yates

The fifth annual, Texas-based music festival JMBLYA held a sold-out show at the Coliseum Parking Lot in Fair Park on Cinco de Mayo.

Jersey-clad frat boys, moms hanging out in VIP and a handful of younger fans made up the festival’s crowd on its first night. Much like its previous years, the full line-up performed an encore set in Austin the next day, hosting a combined total of 50,000 attendees.

Doors opened at 12 p.m. and live acts like Steve Aoki, Migos and Gucci Mane kept the party going until roughly 11:00 p.m., but even the early summer Texas heat didn’t stop fans from raging all day at the sold-out event.

JMBLYA had your typical long-lined food, complete with beverage tents and portable potties. However, the festival also provided a splash zone for fans to cool off, equipped with a wave shaped water slide and bounce house. Proving to be more than a concert in a parking lot, JMBLYA lived up to its expectations and way more.

Headliners did not disappoint, and many on-stage collaborations happened throughout the night as Gucci Mane brought out Migos during his set to perform their hit “Slippery.” Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd also made a surprise appearance, joining Chance the Rapper briefly for a shout-out to the song “Swang,” causing an enthused uproar from the crowd.

When Chance the Rapper came on to close the show at 9:30 p.m., he gave a tear-jerking speech, calling Dallas his “family” and giving a shout-out to local neo-soul legend Erykah Badu. Despite a noticeable limp from a basketball-related injury and some microphone issues, Chance gave his all, playing beloved throwbacks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and hits from last year’s hit record, “Coloring Book.”

Migos and Gucci joined Chance at the end of his set for a “Bad and Boujee” collaboration, and some Kanye West renditions such as “Ultralight Beam.”

Aside from the extravaganza that every musician provided, festival-goers had the additional option to spend time at the bungee cords and water slides between waiting in line for up to an hour for food or alcohol-infused popsicles.

The crowds were fueled with energy all afternoon and into the night, which didn’t die down until well after Chance finished his encore of “Same Drugs.”

Despite Chance’s onstage mishaps and Migos coming on nearly 30 minutes late, the hype lived up to the talent and fans were full of energy.

Since its inaugural kickoff in 2013, JMBLYA has had a history of blending renowned and local budding artists alike within their lineups. As first-time JMBLYA goers, this show was not something to miss, and we’re already thinking about next year’s lineup.

Featured Image: Chance the Rapper performed at JMBLYA on May 5 at the Coliseum Parking Lot in Fair Park. Haley Yates.