Mike Posner took the stage around 9:30 p.m.
“It was probably in the top three shows of my career,” said a freshly-showered Posner after his show on the Nebraska Union greenspace Thursday night. “I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was the rain. I felt the love in the air, man,” Posner said.
His backing band, The Brain Trust, performed to a crowd of more than 5,000 people — mostly students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The crowd was approximately the same size as the turnout for Grammy Award-winning rapper Big Boi in October 2010, though this time around the University Program Council (UPC) made the move for a younger breakout artist.
The electro-pop band Cherub warmed up the crowd for Posner beginning at 8 p.m. with bass lines that rattled the entire campus. The audience’s energy level increased with the attendance as the sun faded below the horizon.
With rainy forecasts and temperatures dropping into the 40s, UPC officials were unsure how many students would make it to the campus concert. But despite the gloomy weather and a threat of rain, the student body proved very interested in Posner’s performance.
“I think the turnout was awesome,” said Clare Maney, a junior business administration major and the entertainment chair for UPC. “I’m pretty sure there were more people here for this show than for last years’. Which is saying something, because these guys are smaller names.”
While waiting for Posner to take the stage, many students held strong in the mob on the greenspace, dancing to hip-hop classics from DMX, Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg. It started to drizzle just as Posner began his performance, setting the stage for what would become a wet frenzy of a concert.
After opening his set with “Cheated,” Posner greeted the crowd,
“What up, Huskers? Y’all ready to party tonight?”
After hearing the response from UNL students, Posner claimed it was “awful,” which revved up the crowd even more.
For the entire set, Posner attempted to get students stimulated and involved. He jumped off a five-foot speaker. He threw on a Taylor Martinez jersey for a song. He started UNL chants.
The show even featured some unexpected covers. From R. Kelly’s “Remix to Ignition” to Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” the radio-made star performed his own take on pop tunes.
Students expressed appreciation for Posner’s stage presence and the excitement of their peers.
“I think the energy was awesome,” said Blaise Lanoha, a sophomore psychology major. “The rain only got people more excited. I think Posner really played off it well.”
Even after a shower and a deep breath, Posner was still pumped up about the performance.
“That show was incredible,” he said. “I want to just thank everybody for having me out. As a whole, it was a complete honor to be here. It was a real moment for me.”
Check out this video from the show:
