After the Quake lineup, which managed to bring a Rites of Spring favorite (Brett Dennen), a renowned live act with a cult-like following (Guster) and a critically acclaimed superstar (Kanye West), the Music Group set the bar high for Rites of Spring.

They definitely followed through. The slate of artists and bands represents a diverse group of music styles with two legitimate front liners.

While Lil Jon may not have quite the same critical allure of, for instance, The Roots, he has definitely been something of a pop cultural mainstay over the past few years, both in the world of Dave Chapelle and as a producer and rapper.

At the same time, Spoon seems to be a favorite among a wide variety of people, balancing indie cred with a broader appeal, which seems to be a balance worth striking at the biggest event of the spring semester. The band also has an impeccable reputation as a live band, which satisfies the other major tenet of the Rites experience.

Feist and Colbie Caillat, both up-and-coming artists, have become immensely popular on this campus and nationally in the past year. Because of their rumored commitments to Rites of Spring this winter, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they were headliners, as Music Group co-chair Dave Silverstein said in Wednesday’s Hustler, given their caliber and name recognition.

Many of the other acts, including Old Crow Medicine Show and The Avett Brothers, have large followings among Vanderbilt students and should be excellent live acts. The board even managed to secure DJ Kool, who lays claim to a very fine novelty song, “Let Me Clear My Throat,” sure to be a crowd favorite.

Top to bottom, the Music Group did an excellent job finding and securing a group of entertaining, successful and quality artists and bands to make the Rites weekend fun and memorable.