Rhythm and Blue Devils

With April snow outside, it was Atlanta hot in the Williams Center as Dirty South singer Bobby V, formerly known as Bobby Valentino, warmed up the students and stage. Opening for V were Jigg Jetson, Bingo Black and Fredonia favorite Déjà Vu.

The show was Black Student Union’s Spring Concert. BSU was also supported by Latinos Unidos, Orchesis, Spectrum, TKE, Women’s Student Union and Foreign Language Club. Roughly 600 tickets were sold, with the proceeds going to multicultural weekend events next year.

“That money goes towards hiring the artist next year,” said Aziza Anderson, a member of both BSU and Latino Uniodos.

Doors opened at 8 p.m., as students and community members filed in to the MPR. Jigg Jetson was the first act onstage. Despite some potential mic issues, and a strong opening song, Jetson fell flat as the opener. Sloppy enunciation and poor harmonizing made Jetson sound like a dead man’s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Indecipherable words and off key notes blended together into a show that was not a hit amongst the crowd.

“To be honest, I wasn’t too sure about the first act (Jetson),” said senior Jordan Miller. “Maybe it was the mics,” he offered.

“I didn’t care for the first guy,” echoed sophomore dance major Joe Corallo. “Bingo Black was pretty good.”

Black was second on deck, and delivered a much better show than his predecessor. Once again, microphones and enunciation were an issue. Bingo’s flow sounded solid, but his lyrical content was lost to the system. Still, strong beats and stage presence mad Black a popular act.

Crowd favorite Déjà Vu was the last act before Bobby V, and they did not disappoint.
“Déjà Vu did a great job,” said Corallo. “I like their blend of R&B and funk.”

Déjà Vu brought soulful singing, masterful fret board dominance and sizzling saxophone to the stage. Both singers were strong and, backed by a tight rhythm section, oozed smooth stylings over the speakers. Combine that vibe with excellent guitar and saxophone solos, and Déjà Vu and their grown and sexy sound were the perfect act to set the stage.

MC’s kept the crowd into it during lulls on stage, holding a dance contest and Bobby V trivia for free t-shirts. The dance contest was particularly popular.

Finally, hype man in tow, Bobby V took to the stage. V was friendly and fun on stage, carrying on a good banter with the audience. Opening with “Tell Me”, a slight microphone malfunction did not dampen him or the crowd. As the mic became hot and his voice became live for the first time, students cheered and the real show began.

The smooth voice heard on mastered and mixed tracks did not disappoint live. V rarely missed a note, delivering a live vocal performance that is depressingly rare in this day and age.

“His voice was outstanding,” said Corallo.

Valentino was not afraid to flex his pipes, as numerous a cappella interludes carried the concert.

A smooth vocals-only cover of the Jodeci standard “Feenin’” kicked off a set of classic R&B cuts. Slow jam fans sang and danced as V set the mood.

“Ok, I see y’all are with me,” said Valentino, as the crowd sang along to every classic.

After slowing it down, V and the DJ picked it up hard, jumping into the ever popular “Pimpin’ All Over the World.” The Ludacris track, on which Valentino sings the hook, kicked off a line of his most popular songs.

Crowd favorite “Slow Down” was next on the hit list, transitioned seamlessly into “Anonymous”. Both are fine examples of bubblegum R&B, dance songs and love songs in the fluffiest sense. A two verse version of the Lil Wayne track “Mrs. Officer” shut down the string, with Valentino joined by the audience on the song’s popular and infectious “police siren” hook.

All in all, Bobby V seemed to be a hit.

“It was better than last year,” said Anderson, “definitely better. It was a good crowd; we didn’t have any issues or anything like that.”

“It was pretty exciting,” said Miller. “It’s not every day you get to see Bobby V stop on by Fredonia. It was definitely worth the money to come. Four bucks, you know? Overall, it was a good time, and I just enjoyed the music.”