Thousands of California State University, Long Beach students and fans made their way to the Walter Pyramid on Friday in anticipation for neo-soul artist Miguel and special guest Wale.
The Associated Students Inc. promised upon the announcement of the artists that it would be a “big night”. Fortunately it was an event that not only met, but exceeded fans’ expectations.
For ASI’s self proclaimed “big event”, one can be impressed by how organized it was.
ASI put together an event that would be an enormous task for even the most prepared, professional team of event organizers, but everything seemed to align perfectly leading the way to a memorable night full of dancing and good vibes.
Setting the tone of the event was DJ B-Rokk. He pumped up the crowd with different dance beats in preparation for the main attractions.
Miguel’s R&B and pop sound felt so pure as his voice pierced through the fog and beamed into the hearts of fans with songs such as “Do You” and “Power Trip.”
Wale himself was impressing audiences with his fast rapping skills, spitting words at what seemed to be a 100 miles per hour pace.
To have a good concert, performer-to-audience interaction is key.
[related align=”Center” title=”Related Stories” stories=”32369″]Despite never performing in Long Beach before, Wale made the effort to step out from the stage and onto the floor to walk amongst the crowd. This made Wale’s set more intimate and brought those who have not heard of the artist before on board for the ride.
Cali-born Miguel talked to the crowd about his early life in his home state, and got on a personal level about never giving up on your dreams.
The worst offender to Friday’s experience was the show’s faulty time-management.
In order for Miguel to start at the 8:45 p.m. mark he announced on social media, Wale had to cut his set short due to set-time constraints. Apologizing to fans for having to leave so soon, Wale was forced to sing short pieces of his last few songs before bowing out.
Simply cutting DJ B-Rokk’s set would have allowed for smoother transitions and fulfilled promises.
For its first spin in eight years, the on-campus concert was a tremendous success.
Even though both artists had short sets, students filed out of the pyramid with high energy from a night worth recording in the school’s history books.