Over a month after the Social Activity Council’s (SAC) reveal of the Spring Concert artist, the sold-out concert took place in the Mabel Brown Room on April 13, letting the roars of the crowd and pumped-up bass echo through the L.P. Young Student Center.
Originally, there were 50 Fast Pass tickets for sale, guaranteeing the ticket holder a spot at the barricade, and 450 general admission tickets. However, after the general tickets were made free by SAC, the remaining Fast Pass tickets were made into general tickets, according to SAC President and senior Ashleigh Moroni.
By the day of the concert, there were 30 Fast Pass tickets and 470 general tickets sold. SAC changed the remaining Fast Pass tickets to general admission in an attempt to get an extra handful of students into the crowd. The show sold out in the morning
The line queue opened at 6:45 p.m., an hour and 15 minutes before Free Daps, the opening group for Waka Flocka Flame, took the stage. The small group has performed at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs, Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. and on the stage of America’s Got Talent, according to its website.
With the “static” performers the SAC had brought to campus the previous year, Moroni said she was excited to see the energy Free Daps brought to the crowd, especially paired with how interactive Waka Flocka Flame is with crowds.
“When we knew that Waka was the name we were considering and we were on the path to work towards that, we were really trying to find an opener that not only would build the hype up for the show before Waka got on stage, but also that would match his level of everything,” Moroni said.
Free Daps’ performance involved having audience members hold up items they had on them, such as glasses and IDs, and working the items into their rap in a way that seemed seamless, according to Moroni.
“People were very hesitant at first, and then by the end of it, everyone was like, ‘Holy crap, that was the best thing I’ve ever seen,’” Moroni continued.
First-year Arkayde Smith was there for a portion of the opener, saying, “It was weird, it was goofy.”
The engagement that Free Daps brought, along with the group’s unique performance of improvisational rap, got the audience going and excited for Waka Flocka Flame to take the stage, keeping the energy where it needed to be for the entire night, Moroni said.
“The students wanted to be picked,” Moroni said. “The raps were quippy, and at the end of the day, it’s kind of a roast, but they don’t know the people, so it’s not personal. People can recognize this is all in good fun, and once people recognized what they were going after … people started to give 100% energy and really dove into it.”
First-year Maya Tavis said she loved Free Daps as an opener.
“They were so fun and loud, and overall, it was just amazing,” said Tavis.
After Free Daps ended their performance, the crowd was already energized to give a loud welcome to Waka Flocka Flame as he took the stage. He did not stay there for long, though; he jumped over the barricade and into the crowd before he finished his first song.
“We didn’t know he was going to do this,” Moroni said. “It was not in the contract or anything.”
Moroni explained how SAC still had to debrief security for the possibility of Waka Flocka Flame jumping into the crowd after they saw that he had done the same thing at the University of New Hampshire Student Committee on Popular Entertainment’s Spring Concert on Friday.
Not only did Waka Flocka Flame play original music, like his new release “Charizard” and some of his older hits like “Hard in Da Paint” and “No Hands,” he played famous clips from songs by other artists, such as “FE!N” by Travis Scott.
Smith said she had fun, saying Waka Flocka Flame’s performance was “crazy.”
“He went hard. That was fire,” Smith said. “I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but I did.”
Tavis said she also absolutely had fun.
“He has so much energy, and it was so exciting,” Tavis said.
Moroni said, “His energy and level of interaction was top tier,” proving to be an amazing person even after the show ended.
“We were talking to him after the show about everything under the sun, from coding and the tech development company he owns to Pokémon to any random thing,” Moroni said. “He was so open and willing and interested in having a conversation with our volunteer team.”
The night of song and rap might have been the last. With recent budget cuts to SAC, the budget for next year’s Spring Concert was cut in its entirety, according to previous Equinox reporting. For the foreseeable future, Moroni said she is uncertain if it will be possible to bring in a bigger name.
Despite this, the crowd’s energy lasted the whole night, making this night one of Moroni’s most memorable college experiences.
“I think that not only as a senior, who is going out regardless, if this was the last show we were going to have, the student body really showed up and showed out,” said Moroni. “They brought the energy and the power and our students recognize that for most of them, it’s probably their last one as well.”
Tavis expressed her sadness about this possibly being the last Spring Concert.
“Especially as a freshman, this makes me want to look forward to more but knowing that there’s not going to be, it’s kind of disappointing,” Tavis said.
Smith said she was shocked at the fact that there was not going to be another Spring Concert next year, saying that the school needed to refund the Spring Concert.
“I’m a freshman, we gotta bring this back,” said Smith. “This can’t be my only time.”
However, the conversation of having smaller performers at some form of a Spring Concert is a possibility, according to Moroni. It would provide a more “robust” program while still providing some kind of musical experience.
Moroni also talked about the possibility of seeking grants and money from other sources. Even with these cuts, Moroni said it provides the opportunity for SAC to get more interactive with campus and try to be a bigger face in the school.
“I am definitely happy with the outcome of this show if it had to be the last,” Moroni said.
Hayley Doda can be contacted at
hayley@kscequinox.com
