Students traded moshpits for MacBooks to tune in to UF’s first-ever virtual music performance.
Viewers tuned in to a Wednesday night Vimeo live stream of the show, which featured Haitian-Canadian DJ Kaytranada and New Orleans R&B artist Lucky Daye. The show was free to anyone who signed up with a form from Student Government Productions’ social media pages.
At 7 p.m., SGP chairman Adrian Badjenki introduced the artists before handing the show over to Lucky Daye, who stood on a black stage with his band before going straight into his track “Try Your Fire.”
Lucky Daye wore a white robe decorated with stylized black text, which he removed to show off a black hoodie and olive cargo pants before greeting the University of Florida and expressing his excitement.
“I’m so happy to be performing for the first time in 2020,” he said.
Continuing with his songs “Late Night” and “Karma,” Lucky Daye asked viewers to get loud at home before thanking Kaytranada for inviting him to the show.
“I can hear the noise!” he said.
He followed up with more songs from his album “Painted” like “Real Games,” before slowing it down with “Concentrate” and encouraging people to sing along.
In between the verses of his hit “Roll Some Mo,” he thanked his audience for tuning in.
“I love each and every one of y’all, regardless if I know you or not,” he said.
After keeping things “lowkey” with “Shoulda,” Lucky Daye bid farewell at around 7:40 p.m. and hyped up Kaytranada, who Badjenki introduced.
On the same level as his at-home audience, Kaytranada sat comfortably at his desk in a mustard hoodie with his turntable and mic.
He opened with “Puff Lah,” bopping his head along while playing his setup. He kept the pressure with tracks like his remix of Janet Jackson’s “If,” his song “10%” and “DESPITE THE WEATHER,” jumping between his albums “BUBBA” and “99.9%.”
The DJ took a break to snap along to “Look Easy,” featuring none other than Lucky Daye.
A barrage of songs including “TOGETHER” and the artist’s extended version of Chance the Rapper’s “All Night” was capped off with him gleefully singing along to his alternate mix of Azealia Banks’s “ATM Jam.”
More tracks like “LITE SPOTS” led up to “GLOWED UP,” which Kaytranada said he played for fans who liked to “bounce a little bit more.”
“It doesn’t make sense playing this song by myself in the living room,” he said. “But pretend I’m here.”
At around 8:40 p.m., Kaytranada played “Scared To Death” and ended with “The Worst In Me,” before thanking his listeners and UF. Badjenki praised the musicians for their performances and the stream concluded after 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Andrea Lopez, a 22-year-old UF theater performance senior, said she got good vibes from the concert. She was able to kick back, plug in her laptop and do chores while it went on.
It was a little weird being part of an online concert, she said, but the only problem she experienced was slightly muffled audio. It didn’t stop her from hearing moments where the artists shouted out UF, which stood out to her as sweet.
She said the performers were great choices — especially Kaytranada.
“His music is just so happy and it just makes you want to dance,” she said. “It was nice to see him working in his element and producing this for us.”
Sammy Elias forgot the concert started at 7 p.m. and logged on an hour later to Kaytranada playing some of his main songs. Unlike at a normal concert, the 22-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation junior could show up late and still have a good time.
Elias had seen similar live streams before and knew the performers well. Even though they aren’t at the same level as normal concerts, she said streams come close when viewers are talked to directly.
“They’re just not as inclusive, but I think they make it really fun.”
Viewers tuned in to a Wednesday night Vimeo live stream of the show, which featured Haitian-Canadian DJ Kaytranada and New Orleans R&B artist Lucky Daye.
