An audience of students and locals fused ear drums with booming speakers as artists Mac Miller and Big Sean took the stage for the College’s 2013 Spring Concert on Friday, April 12.
The event, sponsored by the College Union Board, began with a high energy, electronic ensemble by DJ group GrooveBoston. Formerly known as the “mobile club,” GrooveBoston selects from a diverse pool of DJs to perform at each event they hold.
For last weekend’s concert, DJ Detonate was chosen to set the scene: with an extraordinary mix of upbeat dance anthems and quirky techno jams he did justice to the company’s name.
“Everything we’ve brought here is for the audience,” said GrooveBoston director, Bobby Dutton. He explained that what sets his group apart from other club DJs is for whom they build their shows. Instead of a venue with tons of random people gathering around a big name producer, GrooveBoston aims to give college students a reality-warping experience in their own community.
“You can go to a festival with hundreds of thousands of people who you don’t know,” Dutton said. “But if you’re on your college campus with your friends, it amplifies that energy and comfort level.”
Dutton’s sentiment was clear, and the group’s focus on playing music according to mood warmed the young, eager crowd up for the night’s headliners. After all, the lead performer on Friday was only recently a teen himself.
It was no wonder then that a room full of peers would welcome Malcolm McCormick, known on stage as Mac Miller, with devoted ears and fanatical screams.
The 21-year-old rapper began his journey to fame at the ripe age of 19 — just out of high school, like many of the audience members. With this level of familiarity, Miller has easily connected to young listeners. Infiltrating the online stage in 2010, Miller released his debut album “K.I.D.S” completely free of charge and began his march up the billboard charts.
“Surprisingly my favorite part of the concert was watching everyone funnel in,” said sophomore secondary education and history double major, Danny Kaplan. “The look of excitement and happiness on their faces was just awesome to see.”
A community of students typically separated into varying majors, career paths and cliques was united by the simple satisfaction of music. Big Sean, another young rap star and the second headliner on Friday, wooed the same youthful crowd with hospitable vibes.
“I’m a big fan of his,” said sophomore criminology major, Kelly Coughlin, as she explained with a twinkle in her eye that she and her friends “were happy and ecstatic to be together, singing some of (their) favorite songs.”
