Article By: Marissa Holt and Derek Anderson

Last night at the House of Blues, a Girl Talk/Sean Kingston concert was held exclusively for Suffolk students and their limited guests. Both of the artists provided a contrast to one another and brought in a diverse and lively crowd.

Those attending the concert were filled with anticipation waiting for Kingston to start the show. Eventually he appeared wearing a large, flashy necklace and air force ones. Part of his set was a live band that included guitar, bass, multiple keyboards, and a D.J.  Songs performed by Kingston included “Beautiful Girls,” “Fire Burning” and “Take You There.” Glow sticks were handed out before the concert and the crowd had them up in the air, sometimes literally. A few of them were thrown on stage and came close to hitting Kingston. Getting frustrated, Kingston and his crew decided they would throw out audience members that continued to throw glow sticks.

The highlight of Kingston’s performance was unfortunately not him, it was the live music. Kingston’s actual voice was overpowered by the backing tracks and his band. Occasionally, he would stop singing and the back tracks picked up his slack. His entire performance was not an altogether dud, he managed to get the crowd moving, and the animated audience sang along with his tunes and danced with one another. Although the wait for Kingston’s set was somewhat drawn out, it at least entertained audience members before Girl Talk.
Girl Talk, however, seemed to be the more favored performance of the two.

“We’re excited to see him,” said Kristina Michael, a sophomore at Suffolk. “We heard he’s got a new mash up!”

This was the general feel in the atmosphere while the crowd waited for Girl Talk to take the stage. Gregg Gillis, the man behind Girl Talk, finally came to his table set up after a large screen in the background spoke to the audience through text. Although the idea initially was entertaining, the text on the screen got old quickly, even as it continued through the Girl Talk performance. This did not, however, take away from Gillis’s act. The crowd went wild when he took his spot at his table, pumping them up by starting the show off with a bang. His mash-ups were newer, involving recent pop songs as well as some older tunes not used in his albums.

The mash-ups should be something recognized above all. Gillis’s crafting of his mash-ups are done beautifully. It was incredible to see how he could control the crowd’s emotions and movements with his music. Not to mention, Gillis’s taste in music is a great blend of multiple genres, giving the sense that he appreciates all forms of music. With clips from Lady Gaga to
Metallica, his mash-ups cover a wide variety of songs.

Many students had no idea what they were getting into.

“I don’t know what it will be like, but I’m excited,” said freshman Jay Gibbons. “There’s a lot of hype behind this concert.”

Students were sprayed with toilet paper through automated guns, blasted with confetti, pelted with glow sticks and hit with a multiple array of concert lighting, including spot lights and strobes, providing the perfect dance and party scene. With music constantly blasting, the tracks were all blended into one long song. Audience members barely had time to breathe through their laughter and screamed as the everlasting beats continued.

Not only was the standing room floor turned into a dance party, but some select students were chosen to dance on stage with Girl Talk. These students could be right next to Gillis, and even became part of the show themselves.

Overall, the concert was an excuse to have a good time and brought Suffolk students together. Some preferred Kingston, while others favored Girl Talk, but everyone seemed to get what they wanted in the end. The atmosphere was positive except for a few fights that took place in the crowd. Besides these minor occurrences, the concert was a success.

Kingston put on an acceptable performance and Girl Talk blew the night out of the water with his mash-ups and mixes. It provided a great time to Suffolk students, allowing them to dance away their problems and completely forget about the past and future. Among the blur of glow sticks, strands of toilet paper and multiple faces, everyone was just living in the moment.