campa

Dev
Opening Act: The Cataracs, Wynter Gordon
March 29, 2012
The Roxy Theatre
West Hollywood, CA

By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:

I have had the opportunity to see both Dev and The Cataracs perform live before and I was excited to see them again especially at my favorite venue, The Roxy.

The show got to a late start, so many of the sets were shortened even more than they already were. The first two acts were memorable in the worst ways possible, so to do them a favor I will not mention them by name. The third act was Wynter Gordon. She has worked with Flo Rida, David Guetta and Steve Aoki. You may have heard her single, “Dirty Talk” which topped the Hot Dance Club Songs Billboard chart. She’s a passive performer, but she draws attention effortlessly. Most of her songs were upbeat and she did a few covers (Rihanna, No Doubt) and ended with a slow number that was in a foreign language.

Next up was the duo, The Cataracs. They played a couple of remixes and ended with their song, “Top of the World”. I have to say this performance did not top the show I saw at CSUN. There was more energy in the other show and their set list was infinitely better. I’d like to think this was because of the schedule changes, but the beers they kept downing during their set may have had more of an impact. Keep it together, Campa and Cyranizzy. On-stage dynamic has a lot to do with your show, not just your awesome tracks.

Dev had her DJ go on first to get the crowd going and when he felt the energy, Dev took the stage. She was more carefree and into the music than the last time I saw her perform at The Roxy (probably a combination of experience and motherhood). She sang (in order): “Getaway”, “Bass Down Low”, “Ass (Big Sean)”, “Kiss My Lips”, “Booty Bounce”, “Like a G6”, “Don’t Hurt It”, “Me”, “Lightspeed”, “Perfect Match”, “Take Her From You”, “In My Trunk”, “Naked”, “Breath”, and “In The Dark”.

I felt that the backing track was way louder than her mic and clearly this is an issue with The Roxy and I think most of us were a little disappointed by this. However, that did not take away from her overall performance. Dev was reaching out to her fans in every corner, singing all she had and having a good time with everyone in attendance.

She may have been gone for few months, but she’s definitely back now. Be sure to check her out on The Night the Sun Came Up Record Release Tour.

B.o.B.
Opening Acts: DJ Bamaca, Kreayshawn and The Cataracs.
CSU, Northridge
October 1, 2011
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:

DJ Joaquin Bamaca started his set while everyone was filing in. Doors opened at 4:30pm and the show was at an outdoor venue, so most were not feeling the dance heavy beats out in the heat. He is known to play various Insomniac events and his mixes were decent just not at the right time. I would definitely like to catch him at another event sometime like EDC.

Kreayshawn took the stage next, bringing along some friends including her “sister”, V-Nasty. She performed her most notable song, “Gucci, Gucci” and her newest track, “Bumpin’, Bumpin’”. Though I realize that she may not have a substantial amount of material, the audience found themselves a part of the V-Nasty show, who seemed to be performing as the main act. Most of their rhymes dropped a curse word every other word which became old fast. I am not shy of a sailor’s mouth by any means, but lyrically it felt juvenile. I get it that she is young, but many of the greatest female rappers started out around her age.

The next act was the one I was most anxious for, The Cataracs. Cyrano and Campa came out on stage and immediately connected with the crowd to get them amped up. They played all their collaborative hits including: “Like a G6”, “Backseat” (which they admitted they never play live), “In The Dark”, “Bass Down Low” and my personal favorite their song, “Top of the World”. They also played some sick remixes of current top hits to the pleasure of everyone there. They were mind-blowing live and the only complaint I had was probably out of their control. The audio was noticeably lower than all of the other acts and when you have Campa telling you to go crazy and to turn this show into a rave then you definitely need to have the sound at full volume.

The main act of the night, B.o.B. took the stage with a massive amount of energy. He was full of smiles and seemed to be genuinely thrilled to be performing that night. He played all his well-known songs including: “Nothin’ On You”, “Magic” and “Airplanes”. None of the collaborators were present, but they didn’t need to be. The fans sang all of their parts to B.o.B.’s amusement. Not only did this make the show more interactive, but really had everyone enjoying themselves to the fullest. He also played his next single, “Strange Clouds” which undoubtedly is going to be his next chart topper. He showcased his other talents a.k.a. playing the guitar for a song or two. The event concluded with an encore and two canons shooting out various colors of confetti into audience. I have to admit, B.o.B. surprised me with one fun-packed performance after another.

Overall, the show started out a little weak, but really came together after The Cataracs and then B.o.B. brought out the insane dance hits. Too bad the party had to end just as it was getting started.