Whatcha say about free concerts? – The Hilton 2016 Concert Series presents Jason Derulo

TAYLER REVIERE VERNINAS | THE USD VISTA | ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Toreros did not want to go home last Saturday after attending a free Jason Derulo concert in downtown San Diego. The Hilton Hotel kicked off their Hilton 2016 Concert Series with the famous “Talk Dirty” singer as the first performance. The exclusive show was limited to the first 2,000 people who RSVP’d for the event, allowing it to be an intimate evening of singing and dancing to Jason Derulo’s most famous hits.

Derulo started the evening off with his hit song “Trumpets”, leading into another crowd banger, “Wiggle”. His crew of dancers were introduced and showed off their most impressive hip-hop dance moves for the fanatical audience.

A large group of excited Toreros were in attendance and gathered together to wiggle their dance moves to the upbeat rhythms of Derulo’s tunes. Derulo even commented to the crowd before singing “Ridin’ Solo”, claiming they might just be feeling that way by the end of musically-heated night.

Sophomore Brady VandeBrooke was one of the many Derulo fanatics yelling among the other 2,000 people.

“It was my first time watching Jason Derulo live and I was impressed at the range of notes he was able to hit, as well as his crew’s dance moves,” VandeBrooke said. “The free aspect definitely added incentive for me to attend. It was a small, outdoor venue in which everyone had a great view of the action taking place on stage.”

VandeBrooke’s favorite part of the night was being apart of a group of young, enthusiastic people as they listened live to songs they usually hear on the radio.

“I had fun singing to the song ‘Ridin’ Solo’ because that has been one of my favorite Jason Derulo song’s since the eighth grade that I still listen to on one of my playlists regularly,” VandeBrooke said.

The venue was in front of the Hilton Hotel at Bayfront with a pleasant view of the San Diego Bay and the glow of the evening’s sunset from the other side. There was a VIP section with snacks and beverages, and employees of the hotel were passing out complimentary Coca-Cola drinks and Hilton light-up bracelets. Since the invitation was limited to only a certain number of people, the crowd was filled with only the most outgoing Jason Derulo fans in San Diego.

Senior Steven Frigo appeared to be the most enthusiastic fan in the crowd as he sang along to every Jason Derulo lyric.

“My favorite Derulo song had to be ‘Talk Dirty’ because it is catchy and everybody knows the lyrics,” Frigo said. “Also, 2 Chainz has a verse, which is always a plus!”

Frigo was amazed at how many hit songs Derulo had, especially the ones he performed that night.

“Going into the concert, I thought I would recognize a couple of his songs from the radio, but I ended up knowing all but two of them,” Frigo said. “I thought he delivered a good performance. The crowd seemed to be into it, and everybody has a great time. I thought his ability to sing on key while dancing was pretty impressive.”

Some of Derulo’s most famous hits have been around for several years and continue to be classic, throwback jams for those craving a dance party with their best friends. For the Toreros who attended Saturday night’s concert, it was definitely a fun hour of wiggling to the upbeat songs of Jason Derulo that they listened to way back in high school.

Derulo’s talented performance made Toreros want to want him more than ever.