Under the watchful gaze of Marcus Aurelius on Lincoln Field, students jumped, jived and wailed to the electric beats of Stegosaurus and the hip-hop rhythms of Big Boi at Brown Concert Agency's Fall Concert Saturday night.
After a day of ominous cloud cover, the skies cleared just in time for the concert to begin, giving students something to please their eyes as well as their ears. As the moon shined brightly down on concertgoers, Stegosaurus' pulsating electro-funk beats and fast-paced dance mixes got early arrivals pumped for the rest of the show. Stegosaurus is actually the concert agency's former booking chair, DJ James Hinton '10.
After a quick set, Stegosaurus left the stage, leaving most students to mill about and enjoy the nice night. Many retreated to the back of the green, where they could sit and relax without the pushing and shoving of the crowd below.
But when Big Boi took the stage, a flood of ticket-holders entered the venue. All at once, people gravitated toward the stage, moving as one disorganized mass to the beats Big Boi provided.
Despite missing one-half of OutKast's dynamic duo, Big Boi got the crowd electrified and kept them there. Blending some old OutKast favorites with releases off his new album, Big Boi entertained with memorable rhymes and smooth rhythms.
Some of the most memorable performances were older singles. Students joined in during Big Boi's rendition of "Ms. Jackson," echoing the well-known chorus back to the rapper in synchronized mimicry. "The Way You Move" was another crowd favorite that had people rushing toward the stage. Though Andre 3000 wasn't present, Big Boi's style and tempo still thrilled the audience. His Southern hip-hop roots came alive on stage as he incorporated heavy bass tracks with a bounce that had students bobbing their heads to the beat.
"He played all the songs I wanted to hear, so I'm pleased," said Ella Evans '11.
Other students were not quite as satisfied. "I really like it when he does the OutKast stuff," said Stephen Larrick '11. "But it still feels like something is missing."
Big Boi may have paid tribute to his roots, but this concert was ultimately about his new album, "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty."
"Are you ready for some new s—?" Big Boi bellowed. Brown certainly was.
" ‘Shutterbug' was really good," said Danny Sugar '11 of the new album's hit single.
"I've never booty-danced on Lincoln Field before," said one Brunonian before disappearing back into the crowd. Other students had the opportunity to "booty-dance" on stage with the artist himself during the middle of his set.
Big Boi also had a projector that showcased his music videos throughout the concert. "His movies are pretty good," Sugar said. "It's impressive that he has one for each song."
But after his one-hour set, Big Boi left the stage and did not return for an encore, leaving most students curious as to whether the concert was over at just 8:30.
"Unfortunately with hip-hop artists, they can be a bit unpredictable," said Abigail Schreiber '11, the concert agency's booking chair. "I was told by his agency that his set would be about an hour, but I was surprised he didn't come out for an encore."
Due to requests from campus neighbors, the concert agency had to ensure the concert was over by nine, Schreiber said.
"I think they should have started later," Sugar said.
BCA invited Hinton to come back on for a quick set after Big Boi, and the dance party that commenced was energetic but short-lived as security guards began shooing people from the green within 10 minutes.
Concert-goers expressed concern over the lack of people at the performance. "I'm surprised there aren't more people," Larrick said. "I mean, it's Big Boi. He's a bigger name than they get for most fall concerts."
Compared to the Main Green, many preferred Lincoln Field's more intimate stage. Several remarked that they enjoyed the more enclosed atmosphere.
"You do get an intimacy that you don't get on the Main Green," Schreiber said. "The vast majority of the tickets were sold to Brown students, so it really felt like a private concert."
"BCA couldn't be happier," Schreiber added.
Fall Concert is usually much smaller than its spring counterpart. According to Schreiber, many people told her they hadn't even known Fall Concert existed. This was one of the reasons the concert agency was excited to book Big Boi, she said.
"We certainly wanted to expand the Fall Concert from years past," Schreiber said. "Mission accomplished: We were able to put it on more people's radars."
