Rap, Despite the Rain

Rainy, 50-degree weather didn’t stop loyal fans from gathering in Flavet Field to see rappers Common and Kid Cudi perform in an end-of-the-semester bash on Friday night.

With the first flicker of the stage lights, fans chanted in unison, as if on cue, “Cudi! Cudi! Cudi!” After about 15 minutes of chanting, with guys and girls anxiously looking for a sign that he was somewhere near the brightly-lit stage, Cudi made his entrance.

Dressed in a black Ice Cream hoodie, blue jeans and a Cincinnati fitted-cap, Mr. Solo Dolo’s swag was felt. He opened with a couple songs from his A Kid Named Cudi mixtape, but quickly took listeners into another galaxy when he performed songs from his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. Umbrellas bopped up and down in unison with nodding heads as the songs "Soundtrack 2 My Life," "Simple As…," and "Up Up & Away," to name a few, blared through the speakers.

Cudi announced that he was nervous because he was going to debut a new song. People cheered him on for support, and then the beat dropped for the chart-topping single "Day 'N’ Nite." The screaming escalated into a full-fledged celebration as Cudi laughingly said “I got jokes.” A little less than halfway through the song, he started throwing beach balls into the crowd as rain-covered concert-goers passed them overhead from one side of the field to the other.

Equipped with a live band and DJ, Common energetically took the stage, dressed in a grey Gators sweatshirt. He immediately showed love to the ladies and even had a little audience participation when he pulled a woman to the stage and serenaded her with the song "Come Close." Longing eyes that said “I wish I was her,” filled the field as ladies watched intently. Lighters went up and cell phones glowed when Common performed his hit-song "The Light" in memory of J Dilla, his long-time friend and collaborator in music.

Another highlight of the show was when he took it back to the days when he was known as Common Sense, and delivered a freestyle that shouted out Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes and the rest of the Gator football team as the best team in the SEC.

Midway through his set, Common brought Kid Cudi back to the stage and they performed the song "Make Her Say (Poke Her Face)," and the pandemonium of an epic duo bringing their talent to Gainesville continued to escalate.

If ever there was a time when rainy weather on a cold, winter night felt like a sunny summer day, this is it. A dull moment was null and void as Common and Kid Cudi made it clear why they are both signed to a record label called GOOD Music.

-Margaret Francois; Photos by Sarah Hsu

The Weekend Roundup: Stuff to Do

Whether you are staying in town or going to Atlanta for the SEC game, there will be nothing dull about this pre-finals weekend. Just to make sure you don't miss out on your much-deserved kicks, we've compiled of a list of the thunderstorm of entertainment taking over Gainesville this weekend.

First thing is first: have you checked out our Kid Cudi and Common show. Popular among the hip-hop and indie communities you can expect a wild, widely ranged crowd and lots of superstar hype. Did we mention it's free?

We hear Rue Bar is proceeding the show with a Winter Wonderland party complete with a sno-cone machine. Yum. Before Rue Bar and after Common, make your way over to Common Grounds to continue on your live music high. With the Shoddy Beatles and Morningbell rocking CGs its sure to be a good old kickback-to-the-60s time.

Make your rounds around the Gator Stompin' venues for some free/super cheap drinks, and a chance to help Toys for Tots. If you don't have your Gator Stompin' pass, make like Santa and lug around a bag of gifts tonight, many of the venues will offer free cover with the donation of a free unwrapped gift.

Ok, now drink lots of water, take a power nap and prepare for Saturday. Wake up early for the Craft Festival 2009 starting at 10am at the O'Connell Center. With over 300 vendors, it's a great chance to get your holiday shopping out of the way.

The game's at 4pm, so you know your friends are going to start gearing up early. Many of the bars around town will be offering drink specials for the game. We recommend Stubbies and Steins for its dense menu of specialty beers.

If you can pull yourself together after an afternoon of game-cheering and beer drinking, check out the Thomas Center for the annual tree lighting ceremony at 7pm. Before and after the tree lighting, Duckpond will be offering up horse-and-wagon tours of the area's luminaries, a super sweet way to precede a romantic date.

Now it's back to Common Grounds for Umoja Orchestra's first show since April, the latin-infused band of unity is reuniting for a widely awaited and much-appreciated show.

Sunday's the day for rest, so go ahead and sleep in. Try to be up by 3pm for the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones show though. The award-winning "blu-pop" band will bring its Holiday Tour special to the Phillips Center.

The day of cultural reckoning continues with the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre's hosting of "An Evening with William Shakespeare: Or I'm in the Mood for Love," a performance of some of Shakespeare's greatest love scenes at 8pm.

To take the energy back up again, the 90s Omaha, Neb., indie-rock band Cursive is making a stop in Gainesville as part of its tour. With its progressive, instrumental arrangements Common Grounds is in for great show Sunday.

Feel like a Sunday showing? Go the the Reitz Cinema for a free screening of "500 Days of Summer," at 8 and 10:30pm. This quirky romance comedy is much better than Zoey Dechanel's earlier attempt this year at a quirky romance comedy with Jim Carrey in "Yes Man." At least in "500 Days of Summer," her character is not asked to ignore the fact she's having a carefree tryst with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

-Stephanie Granada

Common and Kid Cudi tonight for Free

It’s just what hip-hop heads and those who love thoroughly delivered gut-wrenching lyrics have been waiting for. Two of the hottest rappers in the game are coming to Gainesville. The multifaceted hip-hop veteran and entertainer, Common, and the rising star, Kid Cudi, will be performing in a free concert at Flavet Field tonight (12/4).

If you’re not familiar with these two, you’ve probably been living under a rock. The Grammy-award winning, Chicago-born rapper Common has been rocking the stage since 1992, back then he was known as Common Sense. His first major album was the critically-acclaimed 2000 release Like Water for Chocolate, which was followed by four more releases. His next album, The Believer, is set to drop next year. But some of you might know him from the silver screen. He has starred in roles alongside Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, and Angelina Jolie in movies such as American Gangster, Street Kings and Wanted.

Kid Cudi rhymed his way into millions of playlists with his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. The Grammy-nominated, Cleveland, Ohio-born rapper soon signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, which is also home to Common. This year, he had everyone embracing a “Mr. Solo Dolo” mentality with his chart-topping single "Day ‘n’ Nite." After announcing a possible retirement from hip-hop because of all the stress surrounding the industry, Kid Cudi recognized the need for his presence and announced that he will keep making music. His debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day was released in September.

The concert is hosted by UF’s Student Government Productions Music & Entertainment. The event starts at 7 p.m., and is free to the public. No tickets are necessary.

-Margaret Francois