Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: Boost Mobile Rockcorp @ Radio City Music Hall (Concert Review)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Dove ~Sheepish Lordess of Chaos~
When the average person thinks of volunteer work, one of the last things that come to mind is the word “fun”. Boost Mobile’s RockCorps has set out to change the face and attitude of community service through their innovative “music for volunteer work” program, made relatable through the motto on their t-shirts: “Got 2 Give 2 Get”. On Saturday, September 23, Boost Mobile packed out the Radio City Music Hall in New York City with young people who gave four hours or more of their time to earn a ticket to the concert.
Things kicked off pretty much on time, and Nelly immediately brought the crowd to their feet when he stepped on stage amidst a flash of pyrotechnics. He ran through a couple of his classics, with duo Ali and Gipp playing hype men, until they broke into their own new joint, “Go Head”. Paul Wall made a special appearance for his verse on “Grillz”, followed by a fan coming out of the audience to do a painful, yet endearing, version of Kelly Rowland’s part on “Dilemma”.
Host Nick Cannon rolled out on a skateboard to explain the “Got 2 Give 2 Get” philosophy of RockCorps, and introduced Don Omar. The Latin sensation wowed the crowd with his energy on the set, which included the single “Dale Con Dale”. He brought out Fabolous for “Get Your Hands Up”, and Fab continued on with his own latest single, “Keep It Gangsta”. Fabolous finished his performance with a relentless version of “Breathe”, leading into a surprise appearance from Webstar and Young B. Papoose was up next, rocking a solo set – no Kay Slay, no Busta. He held his own, and I think we like him better without the 60-man entourage.
After a video about the RockCorps movement, rock group Taking Back Sunday hit the stage with their cool, but excessively titled songs “What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost,” “MakeDamnSure,” and “Liar (It Takes One To Know One).” Kelis then brought her ’80s fashion flavor and much shorter song titles out, kicking versions of “Milkshake,” “Bossy” and “Lil Star.” Her performance didn’t necessarily wow the ears, but it did keep the fans in her yard with some sassy gyrations and a confident swagger. As screams from the audience pierced the air, Nas joined Kelis for a naughty rendition of “Blindfold Me,” complete with a loving ass-slap, and continued on with “Made You Look” and “If I Ruled The World.”
DJ Clark Kent faked a power failure to bring Rahzel out of the crowd for a thorough beatbox session. Anticipation was at a boiling point when Jeezy came out to raise the bar with a ferocious and satisfying performance. He tore through several songs with a veracity that upstaged pretty much everyone who went on before him.
New MTV darlings and MySpace favorites, Panic! At The Disco, followed with an impassioned performance of their hit song “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” as nearly every voice in the concert hall was singing along word for word. The men of Panic politely asked the audience if they were ready for T.I. to even more screams, and finished out with a couple more songs. Nick Cannon rallied the troops for a special “Wild ‘N Out Moment” with a few select people in the crowd, seemingly biding some time for the grand entrance of “The King of the South.”
By the time T.I. hit the stage, the energy level had fizzled a tad bit with all the waiting, but any fan of T.I. knows his live show is worth the wait. He rocked through several tracks, and brought out 30 or so kids to assist him with “What You Know” for the finale. All in all it was an incredible and memorable concert, and Boost Mobile did more than enough to prove that volunteering for the good of your community is rewarding and fun.
Check out some of the red carpet photos from the concert in our Flicks section!
