’90s Throwbacks Pack Conte Forum

A viewer of Friday’s Spring Concert presented by the UGBC could call it a throwback to late-’90s nostalgia, an experience akin to a bachelorette party on Quaaludes, an opportunity to see aging Top 40-players teeter on the verge of insanity, or, quite simply, bizarre. The sheer commitment and star quality of Third Eye Blind and Nelly delivered just what the UGBC aimed for, though—a damn good time.

 

A ticket boasting Third Eye Blind and Nelly allows for a bit of skepticism. Third Eye Blind achieved stellar commercial success with their titular debut album, but radio formats have not been so kind to them recently. Save a Jim Carrey cover in the movie Yes Man, the group has fallen out of the mainstream. Nelly remains in the thick of the industry based on his successful pop-rap artillery, but he faced a similar slump after hitting it big with his 2010 single “Just a Dream.” The question loomed heavily over Conte Forum: Did these two industry big shots still have the chops to get college students riled up?

 

Third Eye Blind took the stage 15 minutes early with no introduction. They dressed simply, choosing to wear rumpled jeans and monochromatic shirts that fittingly matched the black and white banner that bore the band’s name. The seeming lack of ego felt unusual, but it made the moment when the group tore into the opening number “Thanks a Lot” all the more surprising and invigorating. Lead singer Stephan Jenkins gave the song his signature guttural belt, which proved that his voice still held up well. Alongside him, lead guitarist Kryz Reid delivered distinctively rough chords that emphasized the grittiness of the opening and offered a solid expectation for the set.

 

As the performance progressed, Jenkins unleashed a persona that had the frightening charisma of Charles Manson. Before segueing into “Can You Take Me,” he took off his sunglasses and sucked on the earpiece. He scanned the cheering crowd with an oddly seductive glance before tossing the glasses aside. An on-stage aide handed him an oversized fedora that he slowly jammed on his head with the aplomb of Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange. He hit the song out of the park, but not without overturning a dusty carpet onstage for the crew to clean up mid-performance. The performance of “Can You Take Me” hit a high point in terms of utter strangeness and excitement that felt untouchable.

 

Despite feeling more anemic than the strong and gritty opener, the rest of Third Eye Blind’s set pleased casual listeners and fans alike. Songs like “Jumper,” “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life,” and “Never Let You Go” received jubilant approval from the crowd, and Jenkins performed quite well, despite not quite being able to reach his famed falsetto notes. Certain aspects of the performance, however, fell flat with audiences despite their creative conception. The drum solo performance by Brad Hargreaves went on a bit too long and caused viewer fatigue before his smart percussion duet with a dubstep track. Similarly, Jenkins’ performance of the nearly shelved “Slow Motion” hammered home his motto of doing what you want, but its sleepy melody and slow pacing brought the set to a halt. It’s a wonder he didn’t choose to perform an acoustic version of the chart-topping single “How’s It Gonna Be” instead. The group ended on a high note with “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life,” but the stage in Conte quickly began the transformation from the simple, visceral production to one that required a bit more gloss and style.

 

Before Nelly made his grand entrance, the crowd began chanting his name in anticipation. When the rapper emerged from the wings in his all-black ensemble, which he adorned with diamond bracelets and topped off with a white hat bearing a green “B,” he flashed a bright white smile as if to say, “Prepare yourself.” With backup from his hip-hop group, the St. Lunatics, Nelly did not hold an ounce of himself back. His unbridled enthusiasm was a delirious thrill, even if more substance could have been asked of each song. For instance, his opening number jammed three of his biggest hits, “Party People,” “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” and “Country Grammar,” into one frantic, high-energy medley. While the move left team ops pulling audience members down from their seats, it would have been great to appreciate each of these songs in full without feeling so rushed.

In terms of his skills, Nelly certainly got some help from the backing of the St. Lunatics and the bass-heavy production. It cannot be denied, though, that when Nelly is on, he is truly on. During a cover of DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” Nelly delivered a freestyle verse with such expert precision that it reminded everyone why the industry celebrated his talent in the first place. In a set that placed the audience’s enjoyment before his own, it was a treat to see Nelly show a bit of that artistry.

The show took a turn toward naughty weirdness when Nelly brought five girls up on the stage. He ogled them as they modeled their “confident walks” before choosing one lucky lady to walk during the chorus of “Body On Me” before grinding on her during his verse. He then followed suit with two birthday girls to the tune of “Over and Over Again” before jumping into Chippendale mode and taking off his shirt altogether. While the oddly burlesque portion of the show had its own unique brand of discomfort and enjoyment, Nelly tied the evening in a nice bow with “Just a Dream.”

When the lights came up, the two overwhelming thoughts were a mix of “What was that whole thing?” and “I really want to go out right now.” For a college concert, there couldn’t be two better conclusions.