Crazy for Shwayze

SPA hosted another free event featuring the rapper Shwayze on Wednesday last week. He is a West Coast rapper whose songs tend to feature the easy-living lifestyle of California. His style of rapping isn't so in your face as opposed to some of the current rap today. It is smoothing and relaxing rap that you could listen to on the beach. It's the kind of music you listen to with your convertible top down on the way to the beach.

When I found out about the concert, I was extremely excited. Ironically, the East Coast shores of Long Island have plenty of Shwayze fans. He has been featured at the infamous Jones Beach Theater right on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. It was almost a taste of home for me because so many people listen to him.

His opening act was Crystal Seth, who didn't go over very well with the audience. He kept trying to get the student excited for Shwayze but in turn they just became inpatient. At multiple points he would say "PUT YA HANDS UP," and I could vaguely see one set of arms flailing in the back of Heritage Hall. I began to feel bad for him. He stormed off the stage as if his complete bombing didn't matter to him.

Finally, Shwayze came on stage at around 9 o'clock. He began with songs he knew that this smaller audience would know. There was a steep change from the act before. The audience became engaged and exhilarated. People were fighting to get to the front by the stage. A bunch of girls next to me were getting fiesty about being the closest people. I wasn't too concerned considering there weren't many people there. It was fun because it was an intimate setting. You were not sitting in some big arena where you can barely make out the features of the artists. You were not only able to see him but numerous times Shwayze jumped up to get on the gate where the audience stood. 

I overall enjoyed the concert despite it ending very early because it was a Wednesday night. The SPA has done a great job of getting some artists that are a little more obscure for Penn State students. We have such a diverse population of students with wide interests that this was a chance that the SPA took in order to reach out to a more hidden gem (sorry for the cliche).