BAILEY MERRITT
staff writer
At one of our neighboring universities, Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, Hoodie Allen was hosted as the spring concert act on Saturday night.
Held in the Junker Center, the setup was much like that of Gannon’s Hammermill Center.
Toronto native Blaise Moore opened the event.
With a musical style mixing indie and R&B, Moore’s presence on stage was the definition of confidence.
Her raspy voice had hints of influence from Halsey, Bebe Rexha and Lorde.
She performed songs from her 2017 EP “LAURENCE,” conveying its popular theme of revenge after a breakup.
Allen brought upbeat, bouncy energy to the stage, to which the crowd responded by duplicating.
The Long Island rapper started off the show with two hits, “No Interruption” and “No Faith in Brooklyn.”
“My favorite part was when singing ‘No Faith in Brooklyn,’ he changed ‘Brooklyn’ to ‘Erie,’” said Adrianna Lamp, a student of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. “Also, the turnout was great.”
A Penn State University alumnus, Allen was very interactive with the crowd, unexpectedly yelling “We Are?” to which the students eagerly replied “Penn State!”
Hoodie and his band covered Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” as well as “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber.
They threw it back with an acoustic version of “Two Lips,” while encouraging the crowd to wave their cellphones and lighters in the air .
Friends, classmates and couples danced and sang together amidst the lighthearted atmosphere.
Even the staff and security guards were friendly, along with photographers who captured and shared pictures they had taken of the crowd.
Penn State Behrend offered a very laidback, homey atmosphere that was similar to Gannon.
Offering an annual spring concert with well-known artists, Penn State Behrend allows for Gannon students to branch out and meet others from a university nearby, all while feeling safe and at home.
If you’re looking to venture out of the city or want to broaden your circle here in Erie, keep an eye out for Behrend’s upcoming events.
For more information about Hoodie Allen including upcoming tour dates, visit www.hoodieallen.com.
BAILEY MERRITT
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