Spring Break
50 and co. bring the party to Gampel
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Focus
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And why shouldn't he be? He's got another album dropping in the next few months, a No. 1 single with label-mates and long-time friends Dr. Dre and Eminem, and on Friday night, he had a near-capacity Gampel Pavilion grooving to his beats and flows as if it were some kind of oversized, basketball-themed club.
SUBOG's annual spring concert is usually held on Spring Weekend but was moved with the hope of reducing some of the hoopla surrounding UConn's (in)famous three-day party. The concert also featured hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature as the opening act. The show went on without a hitch, unlike last year's show, which, as many may remember, was marred by a two-hour delay due to a generator failure.
There were no surprises on the set list for 50 and his G-Unit crew - the gravelly-voiced Lloyd Banks and the self proclaimed "talk of New York" Tony Yayo - yet there was plenty of excitement and energy on stage and in the audience.
Taking the stage after a charismatic and all-around valiant effort by opening act Naughty By Nature, 50 (decked out in a green and blue Hartford Whalers hat and jacket) wasted no time diving into his hour-long set, starting with his latest single "Crack A Bottle."
Besides a few cuts from the G-Unit albums (like show closer "Straight Outta Southside") and Banks and Yayo's solo albums (songs "Hands Up" and "So Seductive" respectively), the setlist was what one would imaging 50's greatest hits album to look like. All the expected hits were there - "Wanksta," "In Da Club," "Ayo Techology" - the list goes on and on.
Banks and Yayo served more as hype men throughout the show, finishing 50's lines or entertaining the audience during his wardrobe changes; it would have been nice to see a bit more from them. The audience, however, didn't seem to mind.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
rock fan
posted 4/06/09 @ 10:38 PM EST
I don't know how you could say he puts on a hell of a show when he's only out there for an hour. Bruce Springsteen playing for two and a half hours plus -- that's a hell of a show. (Continued…)
another rock fan
posted 4/07/09 @ 7:43 AM EST
"wardrobe changes" ???????? he was out there for an hour including wardrobe changes? when i went to see dropkick murphys in hartford, they played for two hours, had an awesome set, were funny and engaging, and invited the audience to rush the stage at the end to sing the last few songs with them. (Continued…)
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