Clad in their favorite cowboy boots and denim cutoffs, a thousand eager California State San Marcos students eagerly awaited indie-pop singer Role Model at CSUSM’s annual Festival 78.
After being opened by Mexican regional singer, DannyLux, and the winners of the student opener contest, Matt Jae and Eliyah, Role Model took the stage around 7:00 p.m..
Tucker Harrington Pillsbury, known professionally as Role Model, self released his first song “Arizona in the Summer” in 2017. He started to earn a following online before being signed to Interscope Records in 2018. Since then, he has released two EPs and two studio albums. Role Model is currently in the midst of his biggest tour to date, even making it internationally.
Since 2017, CSUSM has held their Festival 78 as a way to engage their student body in campus culture. In their first year 698 tickets sold for the event marking it as a priority for future Associated Students, Inc. Similar to SDSU’s Greenfest, CSUSM’s Festival 78 is an exclusive event for students and their guests.
The draw of such a big artist at Festival 78 even inspired non-students to take to social media to request students to bring them as their guests.
Beginning with “Writings on the Wall,” the crowd was immediately excited for the concert as it became difficult to see Role Model amid the sea of phones recording his opening.
Role Model easily moves through the songs, never losing the audience for a second as he sings hits like “Oh Gemini” and “That’s Just How it Goes.” Role Model danced on stage under the colored lights as he moved through the setlist enlisting his fans to follow in and dance along with.
And dance they did as excited students twirled on the outskirts of the pit.
In the second to last song of the evening, Role Model sang his hit “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” bringing up one lucky student who he crowned his ‘Sally’ for the evening.
Naming a member of the audience and bringing them onstage to dance with Role Model has quickly become a show tradition, with girls eager to be named “Sally” at every stop on the tour.
After ending an exciting night with “Deeply Still in Love,” Role Model exited the stage where girls ran to meet him at the exit stairs.