Multi-platinum-selling artist Flo Rida made it clear how he wanted the night to go from the start.
“This is not a performance or a show,” he told the packed student audience. “It’s a party.”
As per tradition, this year’s Dooley’s Week culminated in the annual spring concert on McDonough Field on April 1. Hosted by Student Programming Council (SPC), the event was dubbed “DooleyPalooza,” a play on the famous Chicago music festival “Lollapalooza.” Past Dooley’s Week performers include Lil Yachty, Dominic Fike and AJR.
Flo Rida’s rowdy, hour-and-a-half show featured all his hits, multiple impromptu skits, water guns and an unexpected birthday celebration. The set also spotlighted many surprise guest performers and shoutouts. As the sun set on McDonough, the crowd’s mellow energy turned into a frenzy, with swaths of students huddled together to witness a night of back-to-back party anthems.
Flo Rida has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and racked up three No. 1 hits, including his breakout diamond-certified single “Low” (2007), “Right Round” (2009) and “Whistle” (2012).
In the week leading up to the concert, students participated in SPC’s brand-new “Dooley’s Week Bucket List Challenge” for a chance to join the rapper live on stage. To qualify, students had to engage in four of the six SPC-sponsored events and submit pictures as evidence.
SPC Concert co-Chair Jeremy Friedman (23B) revealed that this challenge was inspired by Flo Rida’s desire to include the audience in his live shows.
“This year, we worked with the Emory administration to craft a plan that we would have a little bit of control over who came on stage,” Friedman said.
SPC reported that 3,750 students attended the concert. Emory Emergency Medical Services reported that three students visited the medical tent on McDonough Field and that there were no ambulance transports.
Doors opened at 6 p.m. After opening acts by student DJs Shaan Bhasin (25B), whose stage name is BrownSugar, and Brian Sun (23B), Flo Rida opened his performance with the dance hit “Good Feeling” (2011). The party continued with the anthemic “Right Round” (2009), which led directly into “In the Ayer” (2008). The rapper also ran through tracks “Where Them Girls At” (2011), “Low” (2007), “Whistle” (2012), “GDFR” (2015), “My House” (2015) and more.
Flo Rida boomed into the microphone halfway through his performance, referring to Emory University’s mascot as well as sustaining the crowd’s waning energy throughout the set of passion-filled songs.
“The party is just getting started, Eagles,” he said.
Flo Rida’s often chaotic performance style shifted from rapping songs to interacting heavily with the audience, frequently sharing the stage with guest dancers.
Andrew de la Pena (26C) expressed that while the whole experience was fun, he felt that there were many moments where he could not connect with the performance.
“Obviously it was really fun to listen to the big hits of our childhood,” de la Pena said. “But then he just played some music that I feel like nobody had ever heard of before, to be honest, like some of his smaller hits … and I just didn’t know them at all.”
Other students expressed a more positive experience.
“I was super satisfied,” Catherina Krespi (25B) said. “He performed all of his great songs.”
Krespi added that she loved the audience participation.
“He was one of the best artists we’ve had at Emory so far,” Krespi said.
Standing further back in the crowd this time, Rachel Lee (25C) thought the overall concert-going experience was more enjoyable than Swae Lee’s set last semester.
“The students were not as violent in terms of the crowding and the pushing as compared to the Swae Lee concert,” Lee said. “Overall it was a really good experience, and I would love to attend future SPC concerts.”
Friedman and SPC Concert co-Chair Owen Breen (23B) were satisfied with the outcome of their last concert at Emory, despite all of the nerves associated with coordinating the large-scale event.
“I get super excited knowing that there’s going to be around 4,000 Emory students coming together and having a communal experience,” Friedman said. “It’s so exhilarating to be seeing everyone waving their flashlights, Flo Rida performing, everyone’s smiling. It’s just super special.”
Breen reflected on his own experience in the crowd.
“The moment with the flashlights waving was where it hit me,” Breen said, remembering the song “Whistle.” “The way it was all coming together — students singing — I’m just grateful.”
