TJAMPUSUP/EU
Sprite’s Liquid Mix Tour more tiian Just
free soda
Sprite’s summer
concert season foa*
lured diversified
musical talents.
MARGARET ANN
COONEY
Managing Editor
One would think that
with a company iike Sprite
sponsoring a concert tour it
would be all about radio-
friendly pop crooners, like
Pepsi's recent Britney
Spears tour. Fortunately,
this was not the case for the
Sprite Liquid Mix, which
managed to ofTer artists
from all musical genres.
Diversity in music was
kept alive during Sprite's
tour visit to the Verizon
Wireless Ampitheatre in
Charlotte this past
Saturday.
For only $10» peimies
compared to most shows
that offer a variety of
artists, those in attendence
experienced every type of
music from the alternative
rock soimds of a college
favorite, the band O.A.R. to
the smooth sounds of rap
per Talib Kweli.
Beginning at 4 p.m., the
main stage started off with
a band discovered by the
late singer of Sublime,
Brad Nowell. Slightly
Stoopid, which had the
crowd rocking out to the
music that defines Southern
California.
This was followed by
the rapper Skillz, formally
know as Mad Skillz, who
spent his time on-stage
educating the crowd on
rap's histoty by sampling
beats from many of rap
music’s pioneer songs.
Of course, the crowd
favorite was Skillz's song
“Ghost Writer”, which
lyrics dismissed almost
every oil?in the hip-hop
industry from P.Diddy to
Eminem.
It was the positive,
almost soulful, rap soling
of Talib Kweli that spoke
to many. Kweli's approach
bre^ away from Ae idea
of "rap", as many people
have come to know it, and
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is able to boA lyrically and
musically be seen as beau
tiful to all those who listen.
For me, it was Robert
Randolph and the Family
Band who stole the show.
Always playing to the
crowd, Robert Randolph's
music is described as a mbc
between gospel, funk, r&b
with a hint of biue>grass
flavor.
Those who have had the
privilege of seeing Robert
Randolph in concert come
away fulfilled having heard
his sweet jams on a pedal
steel guitar accompanied by
a lot of soul.
Robert Randolph has
within the past few years
gained a fanbase as mbced
as his music, thanks to the
&ct that he can often be
found on stage with musi*
cians like Widespread
Panic and the Roots. A
single foot was not left
stomping while Randolph
played f^-favorite "The
March".
O.A.R and N.E.R.D.
were booked as headliners
for this leg of the Sprite
tour. Classified as a reg-
gae*ska-rock explosion,
O.A.R. surprised many
who were in the crowd by
changing the feeling with
their up-tempo songs that
did not leave a single per
son in their seat.
Although not the biggest
O.A.R. fan, I was left
pleasantly surprised at what
a good show ^ey put on
and gained a new respect
for them and the way they
got the crowd jamming out.
Even the most hard-core
rap &ns were found danc
ing in the aisles with those
busting out hippie moves.
O.A.R. is higWy recom
mended for those that enjoy
the Dave Matthews Band.
Most of tfie crowd came
out for N.E.R.D. Having
gained notoriety as the
Neptunes, N.E.R.D. can be
called the split personality
of its members Pharrell
Williams and Chad Hugo.
It can best be explained
.as an alternative-rock act
nhat features hip hop and
soul.
The Neptunes is a famil
iar name on the music
scene these days due to
their successes in adding a
bit of extra pop to songs
like Britney Spears’ "Boys"
and the hook/chorus on
Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful".
Their latest CD, The
Neptunes Present Clones, is
currently number one on
the Billboard R&B charts.
N.E.R.D. was not what
many people in the crowd
expected because of
Pharrell and Hugo's work
on ahnost all of the rap
songs in the current
Billboard charts.
However, they quickly
won everyone over, bring
ing a new addition to the
rap/rock genre, one that
blows all other acts out of
the water. Their astonish-
ing stage presence left die
audience feeling like they
had witnessed Ae next big
tiling.
Meredith Herald
Editor in Chief Tiffany Adams
herald@meredith.edu
Managing Editor. Margaret Ann Cooney
News Editor. Christy Kimball
Features Editor. Krista Kearney
Copy Editor. Amanda Ottaway
Business Manager. Laura Bates
Advertising Managers Jenna HotUe and Laurie Locklin
Facutty Adviser. Dr. Rebecca Duncan
Staff Reporters Nina Borum
Crystal Davis
Jane Langford
Autumn Metzger
Lindsay Saunders
Audrey Tamer
The Meredi^ Herald is published by the College throughout the academic year. The paper is
funded by the College and through independent advertising.
ITie opinions expressed In the editorial cdumns do not necessarily reflect those of the college
administration, ^Ity, or student body.
Published by Hintwi Press