One Night Only

Mason Reiff
Phi Kappa Psi

It was about 3 p.m. on the Wednesday before finals when I was walking back from class and saw a hoard of freshmen running past me on slant walk.  I had no idea why about 30 kids were sprinting uptown, so I stopped one to ask.  Brick Street had just announced that its “One Night Only” free concert tour, sponsored by Axe, was stopping in Oxford.  Once I arrived at Brick Street I saw a line from Sky Box around the corner to the end of the block.  I barely knew what was going on, but I did know this was going to be another awesome performance at our very own Brick Street, and I needed to cover the story for our readers of The Odyssey.  The Odyssey will be covering the biggest and best events in our community from philanthropies to parties and concerts.  

I found out the “One Night Only” concert series was aimed to celebrate the new product line of AXE Music, featuring body spray, shower gel and shampoo.  AXE really knows how to put its marketing dollars to work.  Clearly, they are trying to tap into the large college student market with free concerts featuring top artists and killer special effects.  Not a bad approach; just as long as nobody sets off an AXE bomb in the concert (classic.)  Pretty cool how it was a surprise concert (info released a day before), and it was completely free right before finals week.

“AXE is known for delivering unexpected and memorable experiences that help bring guys and girls together,” said Mike Dwyer, AXE marketing director. “The ‘One Night Only’ concert series delivers in signature style by partnering with some of today’s top artists to headline secret, exclusive shows that promise to be unforgettable.”

This memorable experience was meant to bring guys and girls together by giving away tickets in pairs so everybody could bring their “plus 1.”  I think the free concert really added something special to this night.  Everybody that was there was incredibly amped for the show.  It seemed like mostly lowerclassmen waited in the line to get tickets and then outside Brick several hours before show.  If the craziness in the line was any sign of what was to come, I knew this was about to be rowdy.

The tour manager was telling me how he graduated college and joined right up with 3 Doors Down to start his career in photography and tour managing.  After his tour with Katy Perry, he joined the AXE “One Night Only” surprise concert series.  Just then, the clock struck 9 p.m. and hundreds of students flocked into Brick Street.  The lower area by the stage filled up in about 10 minutes as people wanted to get the best seats possible, lining the railing in anticipation of the concert.

When T.I. opened the tour at a small venue in New York City at Capitale (Aug. 16), he also included special guests B.o.B, Mary J. Blige, Swizz Beatz, Maino and Cam’ron to perform with him for the intimate secret show in front of hundreds of lucky fans.  Tonight’s special guest was People Under The Stairs, a phenomenal two-some of hip-hop performers from the San Fransisco Bay area.  Nobody knew they were performing until that night.  Some people got more excited to see them than Girl Talk.  I had the opportunity to meet Thes One and Double K before the show.  I heard one girl ask why a homeless man was in Brick Street.  She was actually looking at Thes One.  I explained to her that he and the man resembling Big Black from MTV's “Fantasy Factory” were actually famous artists that have sold out thousands of shows on every continent but Antarctica.  When they hit the stage, she began to realize what I was talking about.  These guys absolutely rocked Brick Street, bringing tons of energy.  They fueled off each other and the crowd as their high energy performance had everyone in Brick bobbing their heads.  The live performance was exceptional, transitioning from song favorites like "San Francisco Knights," "Montego Slay," "Los Angeles Daze" and "Acid Raindrops."

Soon after People Under The Stairs, Girl Talk hit the stage with a bang at about 11:30 p.m.  The onset of the performance was a chanting of Girl Talk and the mashed up beats slowly gaining momentum.  Lights flashed, the beat dropped and a massive unleash of hundreds of balloons fell from the ceiling.  The crowd roared.  I was experiencing the concert from the VIP section.  Here, the stage manager let about 30 people on stage at the beginning of the performance.  Girl Talk is known for his mashed up style of music the combines parts of hit songs into a unique beat with a light show that will blow your mind.  He seems like more of an engineer than a true musician.  Though, his matching of beats and choice of songs, undeniably takes a lot of musical talent.  He would stand high on top of the stage, jumping with the crowd as they swayed their hands up and down in synchronization.  People were launching themselves off the stage and crowd surfing at one point. 

The best part of the concert was the incredible special effects.  From the thousands of dollars in lights to the balloons, AXE did it big.  The finale was absolutely a show in itself.  It started with huge bouncing balls that were slight shot into the crowd while toilet paper was being shot by cannons in the air.  It ended with another release of balloons from the ceiling and a dousing in confetti, so much so you could not see your hand in front of your face.  The concert did not end until 1:30 a.m.; what a night.

The “One Night Only” concert featuring Girl Talk and special guest People Under The Stairs will be very hard to beat as the best concert of the year at Brick Street, in my opinion.  The energy of the crowd, the multiple incredible artists and the amazing special effects will make a lasting impression on anybody that was there to witness it.  Hopefully the Barstool U concert on Feb. 9 and 10 will be comparable.  From what I have heard about it, I am sure it will.  I can assure you The Odyssey will be there to cover it.

Mason is a senior studying marketing. You may contact him at mason@odyssey-midwest.com.