Upon the announcement of Andy Grammer headlining this year’s spring concert, met with skepticism and criticism, the University of Massachusetts Boston’s diverse population chuckled and simply stated “nah, honey, I’m good.” Despite landing a few hits on the top 40 list, Grammer seemed relatively unheard of and, therefore, a discouraging amount of students showed interest in the event. But like all underdogs, Grammer proved that he could put on one hell of a show.
As expected, Grammer played his more well-known tracks like “Honey, I’m Good” and “Fine By Me,” but he came prepared, showing that he has a lot more in his arsenal than just a couple of last summer’s hits. Pumped up performances of Grammer’s other tracks like “Lunatic,” “Ladies,” and “Pocket,” and even a few spot-on covers of Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning,” and the Bieb’s “Where Are U Now,” made it clear that there was a lot more in store than the crowd had bargained for.
Grammer also came prepared to show the breadth of his musical intelligence and skill. While everyone knows of Grammer’s vocal abilities, not very many members of the audience were aware of his ability to beatbox and play the trumpet, both of which were put on full display in “Holding Out,” which blended seamlessly into a rendition of Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets.” This part of the performance also featured the use of a looping pedal, which is most known in the work of artists like Ed Sheeran and Reggie Watts. By looping different beatboxing techniques, vocal runs, and even different instruments, Grammer and his band were essentially able to create a big party on stage.
As most of us can remember, nobody put on more “party-fied” performances than our beloved boy bands from the turn of the twenty first century. Grammer and his band found a way to incorporate those timeless, completely “N’Sync” dance steps. The moves varied from the simple rhythmic swaying of a 1950s doo-wop band to what seemed like a perfectly choreographed routine that would make even Justin Timberlake proud. The band themselves, with catchy choruses and wailing guitars, could be placed somewhere between pop and rock. Not quite pop enough to be on par with the likes of Britney Spears and Ariana Grande, yet not quite rock enough for bands like Zeppelin and The Who, Grammer and the crew performed like the love-child of The 1975 and N’Sync.
Not only was the musical aspect of the show stellar, but the performance as a whole was thrilling, hilarious, and entertaining. Grammer addressed the audience by saying that he wanted to take a moment and talk about a serious topic… “about how long girls take to get ready… This is called ‘Forever.’” While Grammer performed, his band mates took to the stage—not as musicians, but as actors, putting on a skit that was comical and transformed the concert from was originally was just a simple show to a full blown event complete with dancing, singing, and even acting.
When the Mass Media’s very own got a chance to speak with Grammer before the show, he said that he likes to listen and to write music that “makes us all feel part of the scene.” Well, Mr. Grammer, for just one night you allowed UMass Boston’s undeniably distant community to come together and feel whole and complete—and, well, we hope you definitely felt a part of our scene, too.
To read the full interview referenced above, go to www.umassmedia.com!
Andy Grammer Rocks the Spring Concert
May 13, 2016
Students and community members posed with Andy Grammar (pictured at center, wearing black), before the pop star hit the stage in the Clark Athletic Center for the UMass Boston spring concert.
