Logan LaBo
T.I. leans toward the crowd as he sings at this year's PackHowl concert. The concert is a part of NC State's Red and White Week. NC State student Jordan Williams, under the stage name Sonny Miles, and rapper MadeinTYO opened for T.I. The concert took place in Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday.
Students and guests began lining up outside of Reynold’s Coliseum about 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday for a chance to be in the front of the general admission and floor seating areas at PackHowl, NC State’s annual homecoming concert headlined by hip-hop artist and rapper T.I.
Zach Hancock, a junior studying Spanish and accounting, and one of the first fans in line said he has been a fan “since before sixth grade.”
The lines of students expanded down Dunn Avenue near Talley Student Union and Reynolds Coliseum with students eager to get into the show. However, some students were having difficulty navigating which line to get into for floor seats and which line to get into for wristbands.
The Union Activities Board (UAB) planned and executed the event and hoped to give out 1,000 wristbands for floor seating. However, only about a third of those were handed out.
Lincoln Theater of Raleigh also worked hand in hand with UAB to set up the stage and sound equipment, as well as support ticket sales.
Ticket sales did not go as expected, as Reynolds Coliseum was nearly half empty. Students attributed this to lack of notoriety of the performers.
“I wish there would have been more well known artists,” said Dorcas Mabiala, a sophomore studying nutrition. “I feel like other schools got artists that are more popular now for homecoming.”
T.I., a multi-generational artist, sang older and more recent hits like “24’s” and “No Mediocre.” He also encouraged students to stay focused and stressed the importance and privilege of obtaining a college education.
The concert also included performances from NC State’s own R&B artist, Jordan Williams, a junior studying communication who performs under the stage name Sonny Miles, and Made in TYO (Tokyo), the hip-hop artist and rapper of the track “Uber Everywhere.”
“This is probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever performed in front of,” said Adrienne Williams, a senior studying biomedical engineering and backup vocalist for Sonny Miles.
DJ Wade Banner from radio station K97.5 in Raleigh, kept the more than 3,000 fans in the crowd entertained before the show and between sets with a mixes of old and new chart-topping songs.
However, several students wished there would have been less down time between artists as doors opened at 7 p.m., and T.I. did not make an appearance until after 10 p.m.
Despite the wait, attendees of the concert still reported having a good time.
“The wait was worth it,” Mabiala said. “T.I. is an O.G., no doubt.”