Passed the Class

Lindsey Wallace

Group 2

Review Story

Passed the Class

            No matter the seat, your body vibrates with the mixture of excitement and the roar of the bass being broadcasted over the many speakers. Lights of all different colors flashed on cue to the lyrics and rhythms of Dev and Gym Class Heroes, though they were not alone on the stage, Outasight opened the evening to a reluctant crowd in the Hooper Eblen Center at Tennessee Tech on Tuesday, April 24. Student Government Association reported giving out 3700 tickets prior to the event. Playing both songs made famous by radio play lists and songs that are not so popular, to songs that were shouted by the crow at the top of their lungs, the night could be called a success but there were a number of factors not in the favor of a true success. At the end of the night, those in attendance had bounced and sang along with the fading glow sticks only remaining from the night’s excitement.

            The spring 2012 S.O.L.O. concert sponsored by the Student Government Association S.O.L.O. bill fund was composed of three different artists, each with a style of their own, Gym Class Heroes featuring Dev and Outasight. In the previous semester, students voted for the artists they wanted in the pop genre. After LMFAO, first choice, was unable to fit the trip into their revised schedule, Gym Class Heroes, second choice, were invited.      

Starting the night with up and comer Outasight, it was hard not to notice his struggle with

the audience, which I believe was a result of his music not being which as popular as he had

planned for the college audience. He and his keyboard accompaniment were alone on stage trying with everything they had to get the crowd ready for Dev, who was scheduled to come on next. Toward the end of his portion of the show, he played his new release Now or Never and his hit song Tonight Is the Night. Most of his time on stage was spent on unheard songs that he would tell the crowd to bounce or jump to, but because no one really knew his songs it was an empty request to the crowd. 

            Next up was Dev, but before she made her way to the stage her DJ there to pump up the crowd which might not have been an issue had they not spent twenty minutes in between acts. That lull seemed to encourage the crowd to die down. However, the DJ did succeed in getting the energy of the crowd back up by playing hyped up songs that everyone has heard on the radio. One thing that did begin to annoy about his warm up was that he would talk to the crowd to request particular reactions and each time he spoke the music stopped completely and his voice alone was coming over the sound system and this happened a half dozen times. The crowd was both relieved and excited to finally see Dev take the stage in her tight black sleeveless top and retro bright floral pants.

            Dev really embodied what a college concert should be, her high energy was contagious throughout the whole building, transforming what students call The Hoop into a real concert feel. She never stopped once during her time on stage to make empty requests like her DJ and previous artist, but instead she focused on her sound and her music and just had a good time. One of her most popular songs, released in March 2011, Bass Down Low was not saved for last as most artists do when they may not be as well known, yet that was not the case for Dev. She had the crowd excited no matter the song simply because she didn’t let someone not knowing a sing or two change her performance.

            The time had come for the headliner, Gym Class Heroes, to take the stage after yet again an extended period of time where the crowd began to die down and time passed into the later hours of the night. The group gave off a vibe that I translated as they didn’t care too much to be there but they played the show with energy and charisma that made the wait a little worth it.

            All the while, lights and bass and other factors either helped or hurt the concert experience. In my opinion, the lights were too much and took away from the show. During both Dev and Outasight, there was a strobe light set up and each time it was turned on, it blinded anyone who wasn’t on the floor because it was being blocked by the DJ booth. Another factor that seemed to take away from the show was the crowd. They was loud and excited but the crowd was small. Although 3700 tickets were handed out, only about 1800 were in attendance, with about 220 concert goers on the floor. I had a feeling that “dead week,” the last week of classes before finals when no more tests or other assignments are supposed to be given, was playing a role in the attendance.

            “This was not the most opportune time,” Ashley Humphrey, SGA Treasurer, said. “But you live and learn, with artists’ schedules and securing other things.”

            But despite the short comings, the concert was not a failure.

            “Overall, it was a good, fun concert,” Humphrey said. “Good variety, students got a more

well rounded show. And I thought the artists were good at engaging the crowd.”

            I suppose I do agree with Humphrey and the nameless chatter on campus that the concert was a success and that it doesn’t hurt that it was free. I believe, however, that Dev was a better artist and performer than any of her companions and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing her again.