On October 3 at 7 p.m. , doors opened at Reynolds coliseum for the pack howl pep rally and concert featuring the NCSU cheerleaders, Fusion, NCSU Dance Team, NCSU Band, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the hype N.E.R.D, and the cool, collected lyricist from Chicago, Common. This was a very entertaining and fun event from beginning to end! All of the performances from our school sports teams and organizations served to pump up the audience before the headliners rocked the stage. The Cheerleaders gave an amazing performance full of stunts, chants, and amazing tumbling that really brought on the cheers from the crowd. The Dance team and The Band also joined the cheerleaders on the coliseum floor to add more volume to the excitement. Fusion blazed the floor with their very enticing dance performance and intricate dance moves that added extra flame to the cheers that roared through the coliseum.

When the moment we all had been waiting for finally came, students were able to rush the floor to get up close and personal with the celebrities. The lights dimmed and N.E.R.D blazed the stage with some of the fans all-time favorites, and new singles that are currently burning up the charts. Some of the students even got the chance to dance on stage with Pharrell and his crew. You could absolutely see the excitement rippling through their bodies as they jumped up and down to “Every Nose”(All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom). Pierrea Currence, a sophomore in communication and member of the NCSU Dance Team, was one of those students who got the opportunity to dance up close and personal with Pharrell.  “I knew I was going to get up on that stage, once I got there I was on a high! I had the time of my life, she exclaimed as she recalled her encounter. Their performance was nothing but live, as they band brought more life to their lyrics and beats.

Common was next in the line up, and I could tell from the comments people made as they walked by me, this celebrity’s performance was highly anticipated. He performed big time hits like “Testify,” and “GO,” including his new single “Universal Mind Control.” People continued to dance on their feet with Common’s performance. Tayla Cunningham, a fellow student and member of NCSU Dance team recalled, “I felt like I was the only one in the room, and nothing else mattered, his performance was so live.”  She was not the only one that felt that way, it was obvious of the unanimity across the board that this concert was great. It was also obvious that many people didn’t want it to be over, and wanted to keep jamming with Common and N.E.R.D all night! If you missed this one, you missed out on a great experience and opportunity to rock with these great stars.