Cake, Big Boi perform at Sting Break

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this year’s Sting Break concert which was headlined by Cake and Big Boi. However, on seeing the disco ball—surprisingly requested by Cake—hanging off of the stage’s ceiling, I began to get the sense that it would be a very playful affair at the very least, especially considering the vibrant interview of Big Boi.

But before the Big Boi interview and before Cake came on, I got a chance to talk with the eminently cool Sleepy Brown. He threw some light on how his music-making process works. “I don’t think about it. The music just comes, you just do what you feel,” he said.

“Listen to the man,” said Scar, one of the vocalists on Big Boi’s newly formed label, Purple Ribbon All-Stars. Unfortunately, before the interview progressed much farther, the concert was beginning, and I had to leave.

On taking the stage, Cake immediately got down to business and creatively introduced themselves after the first song. “We are going to try to sting for you. What the [expletive] is that?” said John Mcrea, the lead singer. They performed several of their new songs and classics including “Comanche” and “Frank Sinatra” which got the crowd quite excited.

Contrary to what many may think, there were quite a few Cake fans there, many of whom were dancing and singing to the music. “I was more of a fan of Cake. I preferred more of their old stuff,” said Deanna Gray, first year Industrial Engineering major.

After Cake’s performance, I sat with Big Boi and got to ask him a few questions. When asked why he named his label Purple Ribbon, he explained that “purple is the color of royalty” and that he has assembled some of the finest artists who have lots of different flavors to bring to music fans everywhere.

With a roster of artists such as the very energetic Killer Mike, Blackowned, Scar and Sleepy Brown, one can see the basis for his claim. Particularly noteworthy is the Kansas native Janelle Monáe, who also performed her single, “Lettin’ Go” during the concert.

She gave a very Broadway-like performance. In fact, she does have a background in Broadway, and perhaps the most impressive and truly different thing about her is that she describes her upcoming debut album, Metropolis, as a “cybergirl’s struggle to love in the futuristic city of Metropolis.” Very different indeed.

When Big Boi finally took stage, it was with Killer Mike by his side. Among the songs in their set was the currently ubiquitous single “Kryptonite.” Big Boi said that Kryptonite is “whatever gets your boat floating.” “Body Rock” followed shortly with dancers on stage and most people in the front rows doing the snap dance move. “So Fresh, So Clean” was also a crowd pleaser. The performance of “The Way You Move” was pretty unforgettable thanks to Sleepy Brown. It was difficult to tell which songs people enjoyed the most, because each successive set kept most people standing and dancing even harder.

The concert also featured performances by Koncrete as well as mini-musical plays that accompanied the sets of Scar and Janelle Monáe. It was a very satisfying experience.

The turnout, however, seemed a bit low. This could be due in part to the fact that there was a cover charge for the event.

It was a really good concert; everyone gave solid performances, and there were plenty of guest performers around to spice things up. It was a Sting Break to be proud of.