With a lineup ranging from student band Bootystank to headliner Big Sean, the University Programming Council aimed to attract the most diverse group of students possible at this Sunday’s annual Spring Concert.
However, there was a large difference in the acts and it didn’t always flow very well. While nothing remarkably bad stood out during any of the sets, the audience’s excitement wavered from one act to another. Enthusiasm is contagious, and in a large group it’s easy to share the general consensus — transitions between performers were close to a half hour each and were most effective at boring attendees.
Throughout the evening, students piled into the Mullins Center in a steady stream. Though the floor was sold out, it wasn’t until Tyga’s performance drew closer that more than half the floor area was filled.
Bootystank, winner of the UPC’s Battle of the Bands, opened the night at 6 p.m. A jazz band with a funky twist, Bootystank has a loyal student following. The crowd was still small when it took the stage, but the student band played a well-received, albeit short, set.
Reel Big Fish, a ska band from California, also played a brief set, though they performed hits like “Take On Me,” “Sell Out” and “Beer.” As a group that is evocative of light-hearted times and parties by the beach, its set was nothing short of fun. Experts at taking a song and putting its own spin on it, Reel Big Fish played a well-executed cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”
B. Smyth, a promising up-and-comer touring with Tyga, performed well in spite of his near-anonymity. Less Tyga rap and more Usher hip-hop, B. Smyth was a good compliment to his touring mate. His back-up dancers added a bit of fun to his dance routines, which were entertaining but forgettable. The crowd’s most audible response came when he performed “Leggo.” Though fellow artist 2 Chainz was not present to perform his portion of the track, the audience perked up during what was B. Smyth’s biggest hit so far.
After another of the evening’s customary 30-minute set deconstruction and set-up prior to each performance, Tyga had an energetic show. Because he had many recognizable songs, audience excitement was high. It helped that Tyga is nowhere near considered to be a lyrical genius, giving everybody the chance to pick up a chorus here, a verse there and sing along with him.
While his live performance did not sound like his studio recordings, it didn’t detract from his overall show. The best moments were, as usual, during his most popular songs. As expected, “Faded” and “Rack City” were the most exciting songs for the crowd as everyone fed off of each other’s anticipation for these hits. Tyga expressed disappointment that he wasn’t allowed to pull females up to the stage for his song “Do My Dance.”
As Tyga’s set ended, the crowd was in high spirits, which was subdued quickly due to the long break between him and Cobra Starship.
Cobra Starship, performing in between Tyga and Big Sean, felt a little out of place – the most pointed change in the audience’s reaction happened during this performance. Many people in the general admission area sat back down and the number of raised hands on the floor drastically decreased.
Frontman Gabe Saporta’s generally upbeat and energetic behavior was not enough to rouse the entire audience, though he tried. Before each song, he gave a little comment about what sort of song it was and what life events it correlated to. Sadly, this resulted in copious eye rolls and some forced laughs when he made a joke that usually fell flat. Also unfortunate was when he presented the audience with the choice of one or two more songs before exiting the stage as many hands raised just one finger. Cobra Starship played two closing songs regardless.
Cobra Starship’s overall performance was not bad, with its most recognized songs earning it The band has an arsenal of quirky and catchy songs from its assorted albums, but it seemed like it played the same one again and again instead of indulging in its sillier side. The band ended with “You Make Me Feel…” which garnered some excitement, though it could have been for Big Sean’s performance drawing closer.
When Big Sean took the stage, the crowd, which had been waiting for another half hour, exploded into life. He performed a set that had the best mix of styles. In between pump-up songs like “Guap,” “Clique” and “I Don’t Like,” he shared some surprisingly inspirational words with the audience. He told the “future millionaires” in the audience that they should “ignore the haters” and just keep on making themselves the most successful they could be. His charm with the audience worked well in his favor.
The audience seemed to use all of its pent up excitement that had been building up since Tyga exited the stage, and by the time “Dance” finally played, closing out the night, the crowd went wild. As his most popular song, it was guaranteed to have been a hit at the concert, but after waiting hours to hear it, the enthusiasm in the Mullins Center was almost excessive.
Big Sean filled his role as concert headliner perfectly. Maybe it was a good thing that there were weaker acts before him, because they showcased his mastery of showmanship excellently.
Araz Havan can be reached at [email protected].
