Lupe Fiasco and Jason Derulo took the stage at Undergraduate Student Government and Programming and Activities Board’s annual Fall Welcome Concert Tuesday night, drawing more than 10,000 students to Wells Fargo Arena.
This was the fourth year the USG/PAB concert has been a part of the University’s Welcome Week events.
Numerous University clubs and organizations have input in deciding the artists that PAB and USG selected, said Rachel Hill, live entertainment director for ASU Tempe’s PAB and member of Fall Welcome Concert Committee.
The concert began at 9 p.m., and brought in more than 10,000 students by midnight, said Jeff Rollins, ASU’s senior technical director of public events.
Political science senior Rachel Jake, who had been waiting outside the arena since 6:30 p.m., said students in line were “dropping like flies” because of the heat and the aggressive demeanor of students waiting outside the area. Amidst the pre-show chaos, glass doors were broken and students fainted.
PRO EM Professional Event Management security said that the Tempe Police Department had been using Tasers outside of the arena to control some students within the crowds.
“At this point, it’s not really worth it because we can’t even get to where our friends are,” Jake said while standing in line. “This isn’t a way to start a year back at ASU.”
Finance junior Ryan McMaster, who had been waiting outside since 6 p.m., felt as though the long, raucous line of students added to the concert experience.
“It’s been great outside. I love it,” McMaster said while waiting in line. “It’s always worth waiting for a concert. [You] build the suspense and you meet more people.”
Math and computer science major Obafemi Oso, who arrived at the arena at 4 p.m., has been to each Fall Welcome concert since his freshman year, including shows from What Laura Says and Dear and the Headlights in 2008; Taking Back Sunday, Kinch and Raining and OK in 2009; and Dierks Bentley and Chingy in 2010.
“I came to Taking Back Sunday; I was here for Chingy; I left for Dierks Bentley; but this is the best [artist] by far,” he said.
When Jason Derulo took the stage, not all of the students had been admitted to the venue. But as his popular hit, “The Sky’s The Limit,” roared from the speakers, the audience members began to jump and raise their hands.
Derulo played his top hits, including “Whatcha Say” and an acoustic version of “Ridin’ Solo.”
The lights went low soon after, and students began to chant “ASU, ASU, ASU,” and “Lupe, Lupe, Lupe,” to welcome the headlining artist.
“I’m ready to get nuts, go crazy and have a good time all around,” Oso said just before the concert, standing on the ground level in front of the stage.
Lupe Fiasco, who performed the concert in black sunglasses and camouflage pants, rallied up the audience by playing “Never Lies,” “The Show Goes On” and “Beautiful Lasers.”
Just before he began playing “Superstar,” the first single off of his 2007 album “Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool,” the singer paid a compliment to his cheering college crowd:
“Looks like a room full of superstars.”
Reach the reporter at ctetreau@asu.edu
