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On Friday night, rapper Aminé headlined a high-tempo show packed with fans at the JMA Wireless Dome, with Faye Webster and Surfaces opening for University Union’s “Block Party.” Webster kicked off the night on an emotional tone, before Surfaces and Aminé delivered energetic sets.

Opening first, swathes of die-hard Webster fans packed to the front of the crowd for her show, some screaming every lyric back to the singer. She closed her show with her biggest hit, 2019’s “Kingston,” as the crowd swayed to the track’s blend of folk and R&B.

Syracuse University freshman Duri Barnett said that while she loved Webster’s mellow tone, it clashed with the upbeat sets of Surfaces and Aminé.

“I was crying … but I don’t know if that was the vibes for a party,” said Barnett.

Performers Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki, collectively known as Surfaces, took the stage following Webster. The band played a set of feel-good pop tracks, including viral hits like “Sheesh!” and “Good Day.” Frank, in a varsity jacket and a snapback, and Padalecki, in a Hawaiian shirt, made the Dome feel like a sunny beach with the sound of steel drums emanating from Padalecki’s keyboard.

The crowd stayed engaged throughout the set, clapping along to a handful of songs and erupting when the saxophonist came to the front of the stage for solos on “Loving” and “Wave of You.”

Forrest Frank (right), one half of the pop group Surfaces, performing at University Union’s Block Party. Frank and his partner Colin Padalecki (left) brought a feel-good vibe to their performance, making the Dome feel like a hot summer day.

Closing out the night, headliner Aminé brought high-octane energy to the Block Party crowd. Throughout his performance, Aminé could be seen shimmying and jumping around the stage.

Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

Padalecki paused between songs to announce that Frank welcomed his firstborn son last month causing the crowd to cheer before the duo played a cover of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The crowd’s noise reached its peak for the night when Surfaces played their TikTok viral hit “Sunday Best.” Throughout the performance, the crowd jumped and belted the single.

SUNY ESF Senior Rowan Nothnagle came to the show for Aminé, dressed in merchandise from his 2020 album “Limbo,” but was quick to rave about the openers’ performances. He said Webster was incredible and really enjoyed Surfaces’ performance, despite being previously unfamiliar with them.

Bandier senior Tommy Romano — known on stage as DJ Mototommy — oversaw the 30-minute interim between Surfaces and Aminé’s shows, playing a range of pop and rap songs, dominated by Ice Spice’s top hits like “Princess Diana,” “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” and “Munch (Feelin’ U).”

Aminé took the stage around 10:10 p.m. in front of an animated crowd, immediately remarking, “Y’all ain’t got sh*t to do out here,” referring to the area surrounding the university.

Despite poking fun, Aminé also showed love to the Orange. Throughout the night, he formed a call-and-response with the crowd saying “you’re beautiful,” and with fans responding “I know I am!”

He played a high-octane show filled with reverberating bass and fast-paced hits ranging from his 2017 breakout album “Good For You” to the lead single for his upcoming collab project with producer Kaytranada, “4EVA,” featuring Pharrell Williams.

The Portland rapper shuffled between smoothly shimmying and frantically jerking around the stage, keeping stunningly high energy for the entire set. Halfway through “REDMERCEDES,” his tour DJ, Madison LST, switched it to a mashup with Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Aminé played a cover of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” after his own hit “Spice Girl.”

Rivaling the raucous cheer for Surfaces’ “Sunday Best,” Aminé ended his show with his two biggest hits, “Caroline” and “REEL IT IN,” which served as two perfect closers for the night. His 2017 breakout hit was echoed by hundreds in the crowd, screaming “Let’s get gory like a Tarantino movie.”

Finishing his set, Aminé said goodbye to the crowd that had been jumping for hours. The crowd responded by wiping the beads of sweat off their foreheads and shuffling their way out of the Dome.

Published on April 29, 2023 at 4:08 pm