Wednesday, December 5, 2012 ubspectrum.com
10
Arts & Entertainment Turnt
The Royal Pitches thrill and chill
2 Chainz performs at Town Ballroom
MICHAEL POWELL Staff Writer
ELVA AGUILAR Senior Arts Editor Rap music has been notorious for its correlation with violence since its birth, both socially and lyrically. In 2011, two men were stabbed during rapper Lloyd Banks’ concert at Town Ballroom, and since then, very few rap acts have returned to the Queen City. Monday night, however, the same venue hosted Atlanta’s own 2 Chainz, and while the venue resonated from jumps, screams and bass, fans left Town Ballroom euphoric and unharmed. Standing at 6-foot-5, decked out in an all denim outfit and enough jewelry to blind the front row, 2 Chainz began his set with his verse from G.O.O.D. Music’s “Mercy.” The song began at the bridge and played back Kanye West’s verse, giving 2 Chainz the perfect assist for his spirited introduction. A massive on-stage screen was placed behind the rapper and played back images all night from previous shows, music videos and lyrics, giving heed to the lone tweet the rapper sent out hours before his show. “BUFFALO, N.Y. … get ur [sic] popcorn ready! It’s about to b [sic] a MOVIE! BOATS TOUR!!!!” 2 Chainz tweeted. 2 Chainz followed up “Mercy” with his verses on “Got One” and “Beez in the Trap,” which caught the attention of the women in the venue, as they sang along to not only Nicki Minaj’s hook on the track, but word for word to 2 Chainz’s rhymes as well. The crowd reaction was similar during his performance of “I Luv Dem Strippers,” the sole reason second-year graduate student Hope Tuck came to see the show. “[I got here] right on time for my favorite song … I’m Mrs. 2 Chainz, so it would only be right that I
Elva Aguilar /// The Spectrum
On Monday, rapper 2 Chainz performed at Town Ballroom for a group of rambunctious and enamored fans.
came to see the mister,” Tuck said. The energy at Town Ballroom increased after every track and reached a chaotic level when the rapper performed “Riot,” the standout song that brought the ex-duffle bag boy back to the spotlight last year. The nature of 2 Chainz’s songs brought out something seldom seen at rap shows before: thrashing. During “Riot,” mosh pits broke out in various parts of the venue and although security held a no-tolerance policy to misconduct at the show, the good-natured elbowing and jumping during the night wasn’t met with any repercussions. His aggressive lyrics tied together with his comedic and laid back demeanor helped set the mood for the night. Before introducing “Riot,” 2 Chainz took time to let his audience know that violence at his show was forbidden but then jokingly admitted that if any song were to provoke them, it would be “Riot.” The nature of 2 Chainz’s lyrics seemed to be irrelevant during the show and not in a bad way. Songs the mainstream would normally
consider inappropriate like “Bands A Make Her Dance,” “Birthday Song” and “Crack” were met with hysterical cheers. The amount of women in miniskirts and heels bouncing their backsides to the beat of the tracks matched the amount of mosh pits on the floor. At one point, 2 Chainz’s DJ, DJ E-Sudd, proclaimed the venue had transformed into a nightclub while the rapper randomly interjected with his now famous adlib, “true.” 2 Chainz did an outstanding job engaging the crowd and the size of the venue combined with his superstar status made it easy for fans to feel a connection with the rapper. “His stage presence was amazing; [his music] gets me ready to do anything,” said senior communication major Ashley Harris. As the night came to an end, the crowd rushed out in hopes of meeting the rapper at the designated afterparty at Blush. To say the least: he came, he saw, he turnt up. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
From one Pitch to the next, 14 performers molded their notes into a high-class production. They created the sound of a full band using only the instruments they were born with: their voices. Last Saturday night, UB’s only female a capella group, The Royal Pitches, performed its annual winter concert in the Student Union Theater. The University of Rochester’s co-ed a capella group, After Hours, opened the show. After Hours managed to get the crowd in the SU theatre ready to listen to some a capella music. The group got everyone excited when they turned Alex Clare’s “Too Close” into a vocally layered a capella piece. With only one person actually singing the lyrics, the other After Hours vocalists emulated the sound of synths, drums, bass and sequencers, providing an impressive background. The crowd loved the group created the song’s electronic sounds using only their natural instruments. Next to enter the stage were the Royal Pitches, who were met with kinetic delight by the audience who approached the stage. The range of music they played that night was broad and expansive. It included a capella versions of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” Alanis Morissette’s “Hand In My Pocket,” The Fugees “Killing Me Softly,” and a Beatles medley. According to the graduate student and musical director of the group, Kristen Mazurkiewicz, most of the musical choice just comes from the performers own personal taste. “We’ll say, ‘What do we have from last semester that we’re still singing and what do we need,’” Mazurkiewicz said. “If there are
fast or slow songs then we’ll try to let that guide us to what we need, but otherwise we’ll just ask what are people listening to now. I like that our group has such a mix of music.” Because they have so many of members, The Royal Pitches are able to always bring something fresh to the stage. With so many different personalities, there is bound to be diversity within the group’s collective music taste. “I’m excited to see the Pitches again,” said Keegan Burke-Falotico, former Buffalo Chip and first-year graduate student. “They always put on a good show, so I’m looking forward to see what new stuff they have lined up.” Throughout the performance, The Pitches would stand in a halfcircle or V formation depending on what type of alignment would allow all their voices to blend the best. While performing “Killing Me Softly,” the group meshed their voices together in a precisely executed harmony. It no longer sounded like 14 women singing together but like a fully mastered R&B song. For both Pitches and fans, the annual winter performance is an important part of the Fall semester. “This winter show is important because we aren’t actually SA orientated; we’re on our own,” said Naita Howell, group singer and a sophomore accounting major. “This show helps with funding, plus it’s fun. It’s something to help take the edge off during finals week.” By providing their versions of familiar songs, the Royal Pitches’ impressive winter performance helped students to end the semester on a high note. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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