Breanna Denney /Nevada Sagebrush
G-Eazy’s friendly interactions with the crowd and live renditions of hits such as “Loaded” during Sunday’s concert made for an exciting night.
By Daniel Coffey
There was a sudden thrust from behind me as students from all directions pushed closer to the stage while Jake Pereira, president of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, Reno, spoke into the microphone, “If you keep selling out concerts, we’ll keep bringing the shows!”
A sudden burst of applause erupted throughout the crowd as a slender man with slicked back hair and a black outfit to match walked onto the stage. I knew immediately from the sea of LED cellphone screens that this must be G-Eazy.
On the heels of being named one of MTV’s “Artists to Watch” this summer, breakout rapper G-Eazy came to the University of Nevada, Reno to bring a strong end to the university’s Welcome Week festivities. The buzz surrounding the event could be felt all over campus as the concert, which was originally supposed to be held in the Milton Glick Ballrooms, sold out in a matter of just a few days into the fall semester.
To compensate for the overwhelming student interest, the concert was moved outside of the Joe Crowley Student Union to the heart of Gateway Plaza. Considering that this was the first time ASUN has sold out a concert in recent years, the outdoor venue would serve as a unique challenge for the programming board.
As local DJs opened the show, it was clear that there seemed to be a volume issue. Members of the audience playfully jeered, begging the sound technician to increase the volume. The problem seemed to persist into G-Eazy’s first song, which was met with excitement by most fans but a lack of enthusiasm from the students stuck in the back of the crowd.
It was immediately clear, however, that G-Eazy had a northern California charm that would not be lost on the students here UNR. His ability to connect to the northern California vibe made him immediately appealing to the audience as fans began to shout loving remarks loudly at the artist.
“Reno is damn near family to the bay,” said G-Eazy as he informed the audience that this was his first time in the city.
His compliments to the city and excitement for the show left an impact with the fans between each song, which spring boarded the students into a new level of excitement as he started his song “Runaround Sue.”
Knowing that it would be a song to pump up the audience, G-Eazy used “Runaround Sue” to get the momentum moving toward the beginning of the concert. A song based around a girl who cheated on him, the audience seemed to feel a cathartic and collective “screw you” when singing along. And it worked.
Unfortunately, the performer lost a little steam in the middle of his set. Despite the stronger songs that grabbed the audience’s attention, it became clear who was a G-Eazy fan and who didn’t really know the songs.
While some were consistently dancing and enjoying the music, a number of students used the middle of the set to grab water and use the restroom. While his stage presence stayed consistent, the universal appeal of the songs in the middle of the set was simply not as strong.
The ability to dance to the music was inconsistent which clearly turned off a portion of the crowd. In such a large space, it was impossible to miss the students lingering on the outside of the crowd wondering if they should stay.
As is the case with most performers, G-Eazy saved some of his crowd pleasers for last, with “Loaded” being a standout. In particular, “Loaded” seemed to be a song that brought out the enthusiasm of everyone at the concert. The strong dance beat changed the environment in a way that made impossible not to move in some way. Its simple lyrics of, “loaded,” over and over again also made it a song to shout along with while dancing.
As he wrapped up the show, G-Eazy spoke about the great time he was having in Reno in the same eloquent way that sold me in the beginning of the show. He dropped hints of attending parties and talked about the “beautiful Reno women” he had seen since his arrival. He understood how to talk to college students and fans seemed to appreciate that.
While the music did not seem to touch every student, there were obvious highlights to the show in which all of the attendees were really enjoying themselves. The songs that were easiest to dance to seemed to shine as his best of the night, whereas the songs that relied more on an understanding of the lyrics and appreciation of musicality dragged the middle of the set down.
There is still room for him to develop a distinct musical sound that remains consistently appealing throughout an entire concert, but that is to be expected so early in his career. The lack of a unique feature like a good dance beat or highly impactful lyrics can really make a song unmemorable and G-Eazy seems to still be figuring that out.
Inconsistencies aside, G-Eazy showed that he has star power and is clearly an artist on the rise. After all, one day you might be telling generations younger than you that you saw him at UNR before his album hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
Daniel Coffey can be reached at dcoffey@unr.edu.