On Sept. 7, first-years and upper-years alike assembled in a Carleton parking lot for an outstanding concert by two Canadian co-headliners: hip-hop legend Kardinal Offishall and singer-songwriter Scott Helman.
Before the main performances, a proud Raven got the show off to an energetic start. Melo and the Vibes, led by Carleton music alumnus Melo Griffith, put on an exciting performance, combining hip-hop with jazz, rock, and funk.
Melo was visibly excited to be performing in front of the frosh crowd, and he gave his all by hopping around the stage and dancing like Michael Jackson. An overall great performance, Melo got the crowd warmed up to what was coming up next.
Kardinal Offishall came after and he brought the energy up to a whole new level. Right from the moment he got on stage, he had the crowd’s full attention and engagement.
Kardinal played through several of his hits, including “Dangerous” and “Numba 1.” Throughout the set, he gave shout-outs to several Canadian cities, but had a particular aemphasis on his hometown, Toronto. This was generally well-received, likely because of the high number Carleton students in attendance from the Greater Toronto Area. Kardinal delivered a true headlining performance, but the night was still young, and there was more to come.
Helman’s performance was by far the most outstanding part of the evening. At 22 years old, the Torontonian put on a fantastic performance, while also carrying a positive tone all the way throughout. Acknowledging that he almost went to Carleton after high school before pursuing his musical career, Helman immediately earned the crowd’s love, as well as an enthusiastic “One of us!” chant.
Helman played through music from his repetoires, as well as a cover of the Tragically Hip’s “Bobcaygeon.” Throughout the set, fans in the front screamed the names of different Helman songs, urging that he play them as soon as possible.
For part of the performance, a group of frosh facilitators, who wore highlighter green shirts, stole the show. Helman noticed them dancing, so he gave them a shout-out between songs, thanking them for showing a lot of energy. That recognition encouraged more people to join in on the fun, which spawned a massive line dance. Helman described the frosh attendees as “one of the best crowds ever.”
After closing his set with his biggest song, “Bungalow,” Helman and his band came out to perform a surprising encore. Hours before the show, news broke that rapper Mac Miller had died of an apparent drug overdose. Helman opened up about what Miller’s music meant to him, then played an impromptu cover of Miller’s “Best Day Ever.”
The concert ended on a more emotional note, but overall, people seemed to have had an amazing time.
On Sept. 7, first-years and upper-years alike assembled in a Carleton parking lot for an outstanding concert by two Canadian co-headliners: hip-hop legend Kardinal Offishall and singer-songwriter Scott Helman.
Before the main performances, a proud Raven got the show off to an energetic start. Melo and the Vibes, led by Carleton music alumnus Melo Griffith, put on an exciting performance, combining hip-hop with jazz, rock, and funk.
Melo was visibly excited to be performing in front of the frosh crowd, and he gave his all by hopping around the stage and dancing like Michael Jackson. An overall great performance, Melo got the crowd warmed up to what was coming up next.
Kardinal Offishall came after and he brought the energy up to a whole new level. Right from the moment he got on stage, he had the crowd’s full attention and engagement.
Kardinal played through several of his hits, including “Dangerous” and “Numba 1.” Throughout the set, he gave shout-outs to several Canadian cities, but had a particular aemphasis on his hometown, Toronto. This was generally well-received, likely because of the high number Carleton students in attendance from the Greater Toronto Area. Kardinal delivered a true headlining performance, but the night was still young, and there was more to come.
Helman’s performance was by far the most outstanding part of the evening. At 22 years old, the Torontonian put on a fantastic performance, while also carrying a positive tone all the way throughout. Acknowledging that he almost went to Carleton after high school before pursuing his musical career, Helman immediately earned the crowd’s love, as well as an enthusiastic “One of us!” chant.
Helman played through music from his repetoires, as well as a cover of the Tragically Hip’s “Bobcaygeon.” Throughout the set, fans in the front screamed the names of different Helman songs, urging that he play them as soon as possible.
For part of the performance, a group of frosh facilitators, who wore highlighter green shirts, stole the show. Helman noticed them dancing, so he gave them a shout-out between songs, thanking them for showing a lot of energy. That recognition encouraged more people to join in on the fun, which spawned a massive line dance. Helman described the frosh attendees as “one of the best crowds ever.”
After closing his set with his biggest song, “Bungalow,” Helman and his band came out to perform a surprising encore. Hours before the show, news broke that rapper Mac Miller had died of an apparent drug overdose. Helman opened up about what Miller’s music meant to him, then played an impromptu cover of Miller’s “Best Day Ever.”
The concert ended on a more emotional note, but overall, people seemed to have had an amazing time.
Photo by Jeff Pelletier
