On the night of April 27, I had the opportunity to see Quavo with support from DJ Fire at Quinnipiac University’s annual spring concert, Wake the Giant. It marked two milestones as both my first rap concert and first Wake the Giant concert. If you asked who I was going to see at Wake the Giant three weeks ago, I would have told you NLE Choppa. However, he cancelled a mere two weeks before his scheduled performance, with Quavo filling in. Despite the setback, Quinnipiac’s Student Programming Board was able to quickly recover and still put on a concert.

As I walked into the M&T Bank Arena to meet fellow WQAQ member and photographer Sam Quiroz, I couldn’t help but notice the line twisting around the front of the building. Despite the doors not opening to the public for another half hour, the sidewalk was still dotted with students in sparkly tops and ripped jeans enjoying their free pizzas while they waited.

 While the lobby was empty, I took the time to walk around and explore the setup. The concert was held in the basketball arena, with the court being transformed into a concert venue. The court itself was covered in tarp to create the pit with the mainstage at the far end of the floor. Back in the lobby, the merchandise table was stocked with free goodies for students, including tote bags, shirts, pins, stickers and more. The most notable free items were the foam glow sticks, with at least one being held by every student, some carrying more than five in their arms.

10 minutes before DJ Fire took the stage, Sam and I split off into our positions. Sam went beyond the barricade and I lingered in the back of the small but mighty pit. At exactly 8 p.m., the lights dimmed as DJ Fire quietly entered the stage. As if trying to take the crowd (and SPB) by surprise, DJ Fire immediately began playing classic 2010s music while inviting all students in the stands to join students on the floor.

Before I knew it, I was no longer at the back of the pit, but smack in the middle thanks to the sea of pink wristbands behind me. DJ Fire’s set did just what it was supposed to do: get the crowd hyped. His set covered a plethora of genres including pop, throwbacks and rap along with a fair share of crowd work. Having opened for Flo Rida last year, it was clear that he was experienced with getting students’ energy up. His set concluded promptly at 8:45, rounding out to a short and sweet 45 minute set. 

During intermission, students with pink wristbands were escorted back to their seats by security and SPB. Slowly, the pit dwindled, and the seats filled back up. While the crowds shifted, I moved my way up to the barricade to get a better view of Quavo. Shortly after the clock hit 9 p.m. Quavo’s own DJ, DJ Durel, took the stage. As the crowd whooped and hollered, Durel yelled “Quinnipiac! If you’re here to have a good time with Quavo, let me get a Quavooo!”, to which the crowd eagerly parroted back.  

As the house lights dimmed and the DJ continued leading chants, Quavo entered as students ecstatically waved around their glowsticks. Sporting a baggy pair of jeans, a long graphic tee, and diamond-studded jewelry, Quavo exploded into song instantaneously. He paced the stage back and forth, exciting fans on all sides of the arena. He also frequently led the crowd in chants and hand movements, most notably signaling us to create ‘T’s with our hands to honor the late Takeoff, who passed in November of 2022.

During his set, Quavo balanced a trifecta of tracks: originals, Migos music, and collaborations. All around me, students shook from both excitement and the massive speakers on either end of the stage, me included. Some of my personal favorites were “Congratulations,” “Stir Fry,” “Walk It Talk It,” and “I’m the One.”  

Admittedly, all my favorite songs were not Quavo originals, but that’s part of the reason why I think Quavo was a suitable replacement for NLE Choppa. Although not everyone in the audience were diehard Quavo fans, they still knew at least one song or collaboration by him and were able to sing and dance along.  

Halfway through the set, I moved from the pit to the top of the stands to get a better view (and to grab some earplugs provided for free by SPB). From atop the stadium, I could get a clear view of the audience’s reaction to Quavo’s performance. As the performance continued, the crowd began to warm up to the idea of the Atlanta native over NLE Choppa.  

However, just as quickly as it began, it ended, rounding out his set at a mere 53 minutes. The moment he stopped singing and started saying his goodbyes, I watched from the rafters as students sprinted towards the exits in an attempt to beat the shuttle traffic. I ended up lingering behind to chat with SPB members and other media pass holders about their thoughts on the concert while enjoying free snacks in the volunteer lounge.

Overall, I still had a great time at this concert despite the sudden change in artist. I believe that landing my first ever barricade spot at a concert is what truly made this special. If I could go back and change anything, I would want Quavo’s set to be a bit longer, but other than that it was still an enjoyable experience. I’m incredibly thankful for SPB and WQAQ for giving me this amazing opportunity at Wake the Giant, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store next year.