Black Eyed Peas show audiences where the love is

Wylde Bunch opens, excites crowd early on

Nathan Chiantella / photo editor JMU students grooved for hours, waving their hands and cell phones during a lively concert headlined by The Black Eyed Peas. Above, Taboo and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas drop a beat.

Not everyone is born with a love for hip-hop, but after a performance like the one given Saturday night by The Black Eyed Peas and the Wylde Bunch, it would be impossible not to fall in love.

"We didn’t know the crowd would be so great," Wylde Bunch M.C. Brandon "Speed" Jordan WHAT DOES HE PLAY? said. "But somebody told us before we came that [JMU] was a party school and they’d show us a good time."

The Wylde Bunch, a 14-member ball of energy, had the crowd in the stands and on the floor grooving in the first songs of their set. As the crowd became more frenzied, so did the band. Under the bright red lights and to the rhythms of a saxophone, trumpet, piano, drums and voices, Wild Bunch riled up the audience.

The end of Wild Bunch’s performance ended in a pool of white light. The band’s last note was less of a single note and more of a cacophony of sound, accompanied by the audience’s excited cheering.

For the Wylde Bunch, the performance was yet another example of why the band has stuck it out for almost a decade.

"We’re used to performing," said Wylde Bunch trumpet player and MC Janey Dixon. "We’ve been together for eight years; it’s in our blood. We don’t get nervous anymore — at least I don’t."

When The Black Eyed Peas finally stepped on stage, the crowd was more than ready. The band requested two fewer subwoofers than Maroon 5 and Less Than Jake did last year, according to Jaremy Paredes, UPB director of public and media relations, but it was impossible to tell the difference in sound quality. One glance at the ocean of waving arms and cell phones showed just how loudly the music spoke on Saturday night.

"I thought they were really energetic; they got everyone bouncing up and down," senior Xan Haase said. "I’ve never been to a concert where [the band] got the crowd roaring like this."

The Black Eyed Peas graced the audience with awesome displays of talent — from soaring scat solos by Fergie and freestyle rapping by will.i.am, Taboo and apl.de.ap to impressive breakdancing — an instant favorite with the crowd.

"They put on an amazing show," senior Katie Koch said. "I especially loved the dancing."

Lead singer will.i.am dropped a beat on the drums with one hand, and held the mic with his other, never missing a note. Instead of bringing a disc jockey along, The Black Eyed Peas packed serious live heat — flute, saxophone, trumpet, drums, bass and keyboard all created the energetic, inventive hip-hop sound fans know and love.

"The concert was great, — short, but energetic," senior Kim Grochala said. "My favorite part was when the guys breakdanced, and I was surprised the girl was so good."

Although The Black Eyed Peas’ set wasn’t long, they came back for an encore that was almost as long. The band members trickled back on stage under blue lights and ended the night with their addictive hit, "Let’s Get Retarded." The bleachers still were shaking as the encore concluded and the band stood arm-in-arm at the edge of the stage to bow in a genuine gesture of thanks to the audience.