After a tumultuous two years that saw the release of his album “L.A.S.E.R.S.” pushed several times, rapper Lupe Fiasco is due for some happier times. Following some disputes with his record label Atlantic, the Chicago native finally set forth his latest musical effort last month. His current tour in support of “L.A.S.E.R.S.” saw him take on Cornell’s Barton Hall on Sunday night.
Pulsing up and down on the cold tile, a pair of gray Nike sneakers gently thump to an internalized beat. Watching show goers trickle in the doorway, the underground rapper hangs by the stage wings and prepares for his premiere. Small clusters of young people shuffle across the empty dance floor while an older crowd lingers by the bar, sipping on drinks before the show begins.
Saturday’s Kid Cudi concert at Cornell University’s Barton Hall was more like one-third of a Kid Cudi concert. He didn’t enter the stage until almost two hours into the night, giving the first two performers more time than they should have had for their sets. But when Kid Cudi finally did grace the stage, the concert instantly turned 180 degrees away from mediocre.
British singer M.I.A. is known for controversial antics and songs that emphasize electronic sound and emotion. She’s been the brunt of criticism this past year after she delivered disappointing performances that lacked focus and energy as she mumbled her lyrics and made fans think she looked too high to perform. Though she definitely didn’t seem sober at her concert yesterday at Cornell University’s Barton Hall, she brought no shortage of her famous energy and wild stage presence.
The band was small, the room was small and the crowd was small. But with their country-tinged indie rock and their mellow attitude, Great Elk’s performance at Wildfire Lounge on Saturday night smoothly blended its name into the folky Ithaca music niche.
In a lively show that paired big names like Blink 182 and Lil’ Wayne into smooth dance anthems, mash-up group Super Mash Bros. performed for a packed Cornell University Arts Quad on Saturday, sending the summer out with a bang.
Swarms of college students, adults and hipsters flooded into Cornell University’s Barton Hall on Sunday night to witness one of the most well-known live bands deliver a sold-out performance at Big Red.
