(Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Kelly Trom
ktrom@mustangdaily.net
Rapper Shwayze will get the University Union (UU) Plaza “Buzzin’” when he performs a free concert on Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Shwayze’s performance will be the last in the UU sunset series put on by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) this school year. The series was created in an attempt to get bigger artist names to Cal Poly on Fridays instead of the usual weekly UU hour concerts on Thursdays, ASI events musical entertainment assistant and business administration senior Gage McGinnis said.
“We kind of wanted to make it a surprise this year, thought it would be kind of cool,” McGinnis said. “We weren’t able to do one in winter so we were able to get a little bit bigger of a name in spring.”
The Shwayze concert was announced May 17 at the beginning of Erik Griffin’s comedy show in Chumash Auditorium. The event appeared in the ASI Spring Activity Guide as simply “TBD.”
“Shwayze is one of the biggest artists we have had all year, maybe even in the past couple of years,” McGinnis said.
ASI event coordinators brainstormed about who to bring to Cal Poly, factoring in what many students listen to, he said. The California rapper, with laid back fun songs such as “Buzzin'” and “Corona and Lime,” was chosen.
“Shwayze is a good artist with a lot of energy,” he said. “He captures the college culture. He’s from California and really popular in the West Coast.”
While McGinnis has never seen Shwayze perform live, he has heard from others that he is charismatic onstage.
“I have heard that it is really high energy,” McGinnis said. “He gets the crowd involved and people sing along, rather than just sitting down in chairs. I think it is more interactive and fun.”
Business administration senior Russell Hampton said he plans on attending the show and has seen Shwayze perform before locally.
“I saw Shwayze at Avila once, and he absolutely killed it,” Hampton said. “He really knows how to get the crowd pumped.”
Ever since the free concert was announced, McGinnis has been hearing positive things from Cal Poly students around campus.
“All of the feedback I have heard has been great,” he said. “There’s been people that I haven’t even been in conversation with, but just overheard, that are really excited about it.”
Sociology freshman Lauren Rocha is one of those students. Not only is she excited for Shwayze, but also about the venue and time of the concert. She heard about the concert on Facebook but double-checked it on ASI’s website.
“I like Shwayze mostly because he has a laid back, yet fun feel to his music,” Rocha said. “It also seems to be good timing close to summer for a fun event to occur for students.”
Although Rocha has never been to a concert during UU hour, she is planning on attending this one for the bigger-name artist, she said.
This school year alone, Cal Poly venues have hosted high-profile acts such as Blue Man Group and Awolnation. But who will visit campus in the quarters to come?
“I think this concert is going to be awesome, and I am really excited to see what else campus has in store for us next year,” Hampton said.
McGinnis said he is hopeful ASI will continue to make an effort to book more popular artists for free or discounted Cal Poly student events.
“Between the sunset series and the Recreation Center venue, I think that we will definitely be getting bigger names in the future,” McGinnis said.