The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Live Local Music

Asher Roth and The White Panda Bring The Party at Alumni Hall Last Friday

Posted by Brittany Barth on 12/10 at 11:37 AM

I hope you accepted my invitation to come out to the Asher Roth and The White Panda concert at Alumni Hall on Friday night. If you didn’t, then you made a mistake. Both Asher Roth and The White Panda established themselves as the new authorities of party music.

I was ecstatic over the fact I had been able to score a press/photo pass for the show courtesy of SPA. My VIP status enabled me to stand in front of the barricade, where I was up close and personal with the stage and the performers.

The showed kicked off at 9:30 PM with DJ Wreckineyez and as soon as he began spinning, the students went wild. His remixes set fire to the stage, and he established himself as a force to be reckoned with when placed before a turntable. Unfortunately, neither Spotify nor iTunes have any of Wreckineyez’s remixes available, but his Myspace gives you a taste of his incredible skill as a DJ.

Wreckineyez performed solo for about ten minutes before being accompanied by Asher Roth. As soon as the Pennsylvania-based rapper stepped up to the stage, the crowd exploded. And while I was just as excited as the other students, I have to admit, I was skeptical about seeing Asher Roth prior to the concert.

The last I had heard from Roth was back in 2009 when he debuted his college party anthem, “I Love College” from the album Asleep In The Bread Aisle. While the single was undeniably a hit, I never felt as though it was a song that established Roth as a serious rapper.

On Friday night, he proved me wrong.

I was in absolute shock at what an unbelievable talent I found him to be, and how much I enjoyed his music. Not only did he impress me with his skill as a rapper, but with his ability to interact with his fans while performing. Throughout his set, he encouraged fans to crowd-surf toward the stage and join him on it, an activity many students (and even Asher) participated in. Before he began his single, “She Don’t Wanna Man”, he requested that a group of females accompany him on the stage. I have never witnessed any other artist interact with his fans the way Asher had during this concert.

Asher also performed “La Di Da” from his debut album, as well as some new material. Before finishing his set, Asher addressed the crowd: “Sometimes all we have is each other and music…Penn State, you guys are the best motherf—-ers in the world…Nobody’s stronger than Penn State in the entire country. WE ARE PENN STATE!” After declaring his respect for the university, he closed with “I Love College”.

Before Friday, Asher Roth was an artist that I underestimated, and one I believe many others still underestimate. I can now say that I have become a fan of Roth’s, and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of his sophomore album due to release next year.

After Roth exited the stage, The White Panda entered, donning themselves with LED panda masks.

The White Panda had been a mystery to me up until a few weeks ago, when a friend had introduced me to the duo that creates “mashups” of popular songs. I was amazed by the amount of songs the band has created since their debut in 2009 and their ability to create unique versions of hit singles.

The duo has released five studio albums that include about twenty songs each, so if this band has flown under your radar and you’re not sure where to start, here are some of my favorite tracks: from their latest album Bambooyah! check out “Nightcity”, “Deep In The Levels”. From their sophomore album Selected Tracks II, “One Lollipop”. The White Panda has numerous songs that tackle a variety of artists and genres, so choosing a favorite track or album is a challenge.

Since I was so impressed with The White Panda’s albums, I was excited to see the duo perform live. Their performance on Friday left me more than satisfied. I have never felt a room vibrate the way Alumni Hall did during The White Panda’s set. Their mashups were so booming, I was concerned they would compromise the structure of the building.

Sounds like a successful concert to me.

The show ended around 12:00 AM, and while the party at Alumni Hall had come to a close, the energy of the music (as well as ringing-ears) stayed with the students for the remainder of the night. The Asher Roth and The White Panda concert was an amazing experience. I witnessed sheer talent, was introduced and re-introduced to fantastic musicians and attended one of the best parties State College has ever offered.

For those of you who weren’t able to make it out on Friday, you can always live vicariously through pictures from the night. Check out additional photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.429657560420816.108233.155749677811607&type=1&l=6e0ad179df