From the mosh pit that quickly formed on the floor to the fans screaming his lyrics from the bleachers, the Watsco Center was vibrating with an abundance of school pride last Thursday.
The occasion? UM’s annual homecoming concert, hosted by Hurricane Productions Concerts.
The student performer, a DJ by the name of CHRLIP, remixed both old and new songs, getting the crowd ready for the main act. Judging by audience reaction, he did exactly that. Deeming the U as “the most lit school” he’s visited, 21 Savage brought the energy to a whole new level.
The rapper’s performance as a whole, however, was “mediocre,” said senior Marcus Lugo, because Savage “didn’t engage the crowd well.” In comparison to past homecoming performers such as rapper D.R.AM., Lugo said Savage “did not adapt his performance based off of the crowd he was playing for.”
Many self-proclaimed super-fans, including freshman Aloha Suto, agreed. They said the performance was “underwhelming,” seemed rushed and felt it unworthy of the hype that preceded it. Many suspect the lackluster performance could be due to Savage’s late arrival in Miami, which according to social media, was around 9:30 p.m. His performance at the Watsco Center was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
The “a lot” singer, whose album “I Am > I Was” was released in late 2018, had 12 songs on the Hot 100 chart in 2019 despite not releasing a solo album this year. With anthems such as “Famous” and “Bank Account” off of his 2017 album “Issa,” 21 Savage included his old hits as well as his new ones during the homecoming performance. “Don’t Come Out the House” and “10 Freaky Girls,” two tracks included on Metro Boomin’s 2018 collaborative album “Not All Heroes Wear Capes,” were the two standout songs, both of which took the crowd’s energy to an unmatched level.
Despite the performances’ length, 21 Savage did a decent job of including his most popular songs. Of those, he performed his verse on Post Malone’s track “Rockstar,” which lasted eight consecutive weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Regardless of overall sense of disappointment, many people seemed to enjoy themselves. Freshman Josh Coton said that the “overall vibe of the concert” was great. For those who had not attended any concert before, or just had not attended a UM homecoming concert, it was an exciting experience.
Regardless of enjoying (or not enjoying) the performance, the overall vibe of the night was one filled with comradery and high spirits, resulting in a night of bonding between alumni and current students alike. Afterall, Canes can turn any situation into a fun one.