Dancing in the dark with Dev at UAF

Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star Reporter
September 18, 2012

Dev serenaded the crowded Student Rec Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with a mix of slow songs and fast beats. Sept. 15th, 2012. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star

We all know that Dev likes her beats fast and her bass down low, but the beats dropped in the SRC on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 15, may have gone by a little too fast for UAF student’s taste. Dev, a newly popular techno rap artist, performed a lively but short concert in the Student Recreation Center at UAF as part of their beginning of the year festivities. Dev was brought to Fairbanks by the UAF Concert Board, an organization that works to bring popular music to Fairbanks for the enjoyment of UAF students.

Dev’s concert was met with mixed reviews by the largely student populated audience. While Dev was received onto the stage by a roaring crowd of several hundred people, forty minutes later the concert had ended as confused and disappointed students exited the rec center feeling like they had just entered.

“I was super excited to go to my first college concert and I really like Dev’s music,” said freshman, Kira Leonard. “But it was so short! That was really disappointing for me.”

Dev’s music is a healthy mix of rhyming rap-like lyrics and floor-vibrating beats, creating a dance like sound. The mix of this type of music with the dark SRC and the audience props that Concert Board employees passed out at the gate, morphed the basketball and tennis courts into what appeared to be a dance party in front of the stage.

“Dev kind of created her own light show for her concert with the light sticks that everyone got when they came in. It was pretty spectacular looking in the dark,” Dorian Granger, a sophomore majoring in Sculpture Art said after the concert. “To be honest though, the concert itself wasn’t the best.”

Over the past few years, the UAF Concert Board has brought up big name groups such as Tokyo Police Club, Nappy Roots and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. However, these previous groups have always left the audience satisfied with at least an hour long show. While Dev played many of her most popular songs such as “In the Dark” and “Bass Down Low,” the audience was surprised to realize that the local opening group, Ice Villains, played for a longer amount of time than Dev herself.

Regardless of a shorter show than most, Dev was extremely enthusiastic about her first visit to Alaska.

“You guys are awesome! I love it here!” she yelled to the crowd during her concert Saturday night.

Following the concert, Dev proceeded to the UAF Pub to spend some time with the locals and decompress after a rowdy show. Students were excited to spend time with her in a relaxed setting and have the opportunity to take photos with the musician.

Dev may have cut her concert short, but she left the crowd chanting for more and full of post concert jitters.

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A crowd of UAF students show off their LED light stick during the DEV concert that was held in the Student Recreation Center on September 15, 2012. Carolyn/ Sun Star

On Sept 15, 2012 multitudes of UAF students mob the stage at the Student Recreation Center to get a closer look at the famous artist DEV during her first show in Alaska. Carolyn/ Sun Star

On Sept 15, 2012 artist DEV struts her stuff on stage during her very first show in Alaska at the UAF Student Recreation Center. "I've never been to Alaska before, but I can tell you guys are rowdy!" she said. Carolyn/ Sun Star

A crowd of UAF students show off their LED light stick during the Dev Concert. Sept. 15th, 2012. Carolyn/ Sun Star

Eager UAF students gather at the SRC for the DEV concert that took place on September 15, 2012. The concert was put on by the UAF concert board and quickly sold out. Carolyn/ Sun Star

A crowd of UAF students show off their LED light stick during the DEV concert that was held in the Student Recreation Center on September 15, 2012. Carolyn/ Sun Star

Eager UAF students gather at the SRC for the DEV concert that took place on September 15, 2012. The concert was put on by the UAF concert board and quickly sold out. Carolyn/ Sun Star

Dev rocked the Student Recreation Center on Saturday night, Sep 15, 2012. A large group of students showed their enthusiasm with glow in the dark foam sticks. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star

Dev serenaded the crowded Student Rec Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with a mix of slow songs and fast beats. Sept. 15th, 2012. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star

On the evening of Saturday, Sep 15, a large crowd of excited students brandished their cell phones and glowing foam sticks that were passed out by Concert Board employees at the doors. Sept. 15th, 2012. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star

Eager UAF students gather at the SRC for the DEV concert that took place on September 15, 2012. The concert was put on by the UAF concert board and quickly sold out. Carolyn/ Sun Star

Dev serenaded the crowded Student Rec Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with a mix of slow songs and fast beats. Sept. 15th, 2012. Erin McGroarty/ Sun Star

Posted by Erin McGroarty on Sep 19 2012. Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Features, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.