Even with a small crowd on a cold October night, students crowded the front of the stage at the Events Center this Thursday to see rappers Doja Cat and Gucci Mane perform for this year’s fall concert. The show served as the first fall concert in two years, following 21 Savage’s abrupt cancellation last year because of travel difficulties.
Doja Cat was greeted with a dedicated fan base, many of whom came dressed as cows to pay homage to her viral 2018 song, “Mooo!” Donned in a leopard print outfit herself, Doja Cat enjoyed the company of those who showed up, while commenting on the perceived crowd size.
“This venue makes you look so small,” Doja said in between songs. “It’s a big-ass building with like no people. I’m humbled.”
As Doja danced around the stage and sang upbeat hits like “Juicy” and “Tia Tamera,” her dedicated fans sang and jumped around the floor. Alexis Gaztambide, a freshman majoring in nursing, noted that the show’s energy helped make up for the lacking turnout.
“I really enjoyed Doja’s set and I liked that she had a good sense of humor about the attendance,” she said. “Those who came knew her music and were big fans of her and it made all the difference.”
After a short intermission, Gucci Mane came onstage donned in sky blue pants and a matching bomber jacket. At first glance, it looked like there were white clouds on it, but given a closer look, they were actually whales swimming across the arms of the coat.
Picking up with the same energy that Doja Cat brought to the stage, Gucci Mane started off his portion of the show with enthusiasm. But as the show went on, he seemed to become annoyed by how small the crowd was, eventually descending into mumbling his raps. Mane may have been a little distracted — the show fell on his second marriage anniversary to model Keyshia Ka’Oir, and the clock striking midnight meant the release of his 15th album, “Woptober II.” At the end of the show, the audio for Gucci Mane’s latest song, “Big Booty,” started playing, but he abruptly said goodnight to the audience and left. Many attendees were disappointed by his performance, including Gaztambide.
“I’m not sure if it’s how he normally performs or if he just wasn’t happy about performing in front of about 150 people, but he looked like he didn’t want to be there and I think he ended earlier than he was supposed to,” Gaztambide said.
Others felt the same way, but placed the blame on other factors. Rebecca Appel, a freshman majoring in human development, thought that a bigger crowd or a smaller venue would have made the show more enjoyable.
“Doja Cat was the highlight of the show even though Gucci Mane was the main event,” she said. “The crowd was the worst part. They undersold the number of tickets and I wish there were more people there. Doja Cat and Gucci Mane deserve more than one-sixth of the arena being filled. If they sold a small amount of tickets, they should have moved the concert to a smaller venue on campus so that it would feel more intimate and fun.”
However, the smaller crowd did make it easier for dedicated fans of either artist to get up close and experience the show.
“I personally enjoyed the concert a lot from the floor,” Appel said. “At least I could move around. I don’t think it would have been the same if I were in the bleachers.”