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The Dartmouth
October 31, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Yelawolf, Total Slacker to headline weekend concerts

Rising star Yelawolf, who hails from Alabama, will offer up his southern-inspired rap at Collis Common Ground on Saturday.
Rising star Yelawolf, who hails from Alabama, will offer up his southern-inspired rap at Collis Common Ground on Saturday.

For the Saturday bash, Collis Common Ground will transform into a venue much like last Spring's sparsely-attended "Club Collis," only this time there will be "free candy, free booze for those over 21, a costume contest and of course, Yelawolf," PB concert director Amaris Galea-Orbe '11 said. "I saw [Yelawolf] at South By Southwest and he was amazing. It was one of the best rap shows I've been to."

Yelawolf, aka Michael Wayne Atha, hails from Gadsen, Ala., and has been making his way up the ranks as a top-notch rap act following the success of his 2010 mixtape "Trunk Muzik." He has since been signed by Eminem's record label, Shady Records, and was named one of XXL Magazine's "Top Eleven Freshmen of 2011." Yelawolf's debut studio album, "Radioactive," is slated to hit record stores next month.

While Yelawolf's lilting southern drawl is evident on nearly every track, it is his rapid-fire syllable spitting that grabs the listener's attention. His funnier tracks like "Daddy's Lambo," in which his country roots brush up against the Lamborghinis and luxury of Beverly Hills, features lyrics like "got a pint-sized vodka drink and you're pretty in pink/ Wanna go get breakfast?/ Girl, you ain't never been to Waffle House."

Yelawolf's collaboration with Gucci Mane on the track "I Just Wanna Party" features whiny girls who repeatedly sing the title, hopefully in jest.

Cornell University sophomore Dylan Owen will open for Yelawolf, according to Galea-Orbe. Owen recently released his debut rap CD "Senioritis" and has opened for top acts such as Mac Miller, Chiddy Bang, Tayyib Ali and Sammy Adams. Owen draws from his small-town roots to craft his catchy beats that are accompanied by upbeat melodies.

Galea-Orbe selected Owen to perform due to the high level of student interest.

"I got 10 requests for [Owen] and that's how I found out about him," she said.

The concert will also feature a costume contest, with cash prizes for the best costumes, according to Galea-Orbe.

Hooray For Earth, an alternative indie-synth-pop band fresh off of its tour with Cymbals Eat Guitars, will headline the FNR show in Fuel on Friday. The group, which has collaborated with acts such as Twin Shadow, combines bright and big beats with chirpier hooks, a combination that made its most recent album, "True Loves," a hit this summer.

Total Slacker, a Brooklyn trio, will open for Hooray For Earth with its laid-back, fuzzy and hallucinogenic pop. The trio's music calls to mind picnicking and cloud-watching, and a distinct sense of humor drives most songs.

Total Slacker's most recent album, "Thrashin'," pays homage to their 1990s childhood with song titles such as "Secret VHS Collection," "Stuck in '93" and "Video Rental Store Guy." Their sense of humor also shines through on contemporary-themed tracks such as "No Mo 4loko."

The concerts' organizers hope to replicate the success of September's Dan Deacon concert, which was a collaborative effort between PB and FNR.

"That was a huge blast, and when we collaborate we get to use more money to get bands that we normally wouldn't have enough money to get," Chris Randall '12, general manager of FNR, said. "When we collaborate with PB it allows us to shake up the type of band we normally get, but I think the fact we have shows where we don't [work together] allows us to get a little creative and get bands that are up-and-coming into the spotlight."