Campus Life | November 2nd, 2024

FAMU Homecoming Concert: Unforgettable or Forgettable?

By: Jaedah Davis | Staff Writer

Thursday, Oct. 31, Florida A&M University students, alums, and visitors attended the homecoming concert, including headliner Glorilla and opening acts Veeze and Anycia. Held in the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center, the artists brought out rattlers from all over.

Anycia kicked off the show, followed by Veeze, who GloRilla came long after.

Memphis rapper GloRilla has established herself as one of the most promising female rap voices, and she is the most anticipated artist of the concert as she has recently released her debut album, Glorious.

“Though the wait for her performance was extensive, I was most excited to see GloRilla,” third-year graphic design scholar Tai Johnson said. “She said she was sick during her performance, but if she hadn’t said it, no one would have been able to tell.”

While some felt GloRilla’s performance did not disappoint, Logan Hood, a first-year political science major, felt differently.

“She did not meet my expectations, it seemed like she was more hyped at other schools and concerts,” Hood said.

Sirius XM and their on-air personality, Swaggy Sie, hosted the concert. They were left responsible for keeping the hype alive between sets in hosting. Games and line dances were played to get everyone off their feet and to create a fun environment. But that wasn’t enough because the hype and anticipation eventually died down.

“The vibe was cool, but it wasn’t all that memorable to me because of the long wait,” third-year cardiopulmonary science major Sarah Clarke said.

Students had plenty to say about the delays they endured during the show and how short most sets were. The concert started at 7 p.m., and the headliner didn’t show up until 10:45 p.m.

“I think the overall vibe was a bit underwhelming, by the time the main performer arrived, you could tell we were tired and lacked excitement,” Johnson said. “Additionally, the games hosted during the intermissions were boring and done quickly considering the wait.”

First-year rattlers were in attendance as it was their first homecoming, and their expectations were unfortunately not met.

“I felt that the crowd did not feed off any energy from the DJ or the artists, and because of that, the overall vibe was poor,” first-year nursing scholar Bria Posey said.

Logan Hood compared the concert to the pep rally held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, which Vickeelo headlined.

“It [the concert] didn’t have the same vibe as the pep rally,” Hood said. “It didn’t get the school as lit as the pep rally did.”

It’s no secret that there has been much disappointment centering the homecoming lineup since it has been revealed. Students already know who they want to see for a better turnout next year. When asked, they answered with artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Gunna, Flo Milli, Monaleo and NoCap, but most reach common ground by having R&B artists as headliners.“I would really love to see more R&B artists to headline a FAMU concert, artists like Bryson Tiller and PartyNextDoor,” Posey said.