No, no, no, no they don’t lie: the Black Eyed Peas know how to get a party started. The stage went dark, searchlights started circling, the base began thumping and the first few chords of ‘Hey Mama’ began to play as will.i.am, Taboo, apl.de.ap and Fergie rushed on.

Throughout last night’s performance at the New York State Fair, the Peas brought the crowd into the show, often rapping ‘Yeah Syracuse’ and ‘New York, are you ready to pump it?’ Throughout the night will.i.am made frequent references to the girls in the crowd, shouting, ‘There are lots of pretty, pretty girls in New York. Let me hear all the ladies. Alright, let me hear all the fellas. Looks like the ladies run New York,’ he said toward the beginning of the night.

Kate Fagut, a sophomore magazine major, said she enjoyed the energy of the show. ‘It felt like one big party. Everyone was getting into it.’

‘BEP music is upbeat and is good to dance to. And some of it has a really good message,’ said Fagut.

Jared Schwartz, a senior broadcast journalism major, enjoys the Black Eyed Peas because their music is ‘a good mix.’

Often during the performance the band members would act out what they were singing. During ‘Shut Up,’ Fergie even pretended to start crying after a fake fight with will.i.am. When the foursome sang ‘My Humps,’ Fergie was offered a jeweled necklace by Taboo and money by apl.de.ap; both of which she threw back in their faces.

Adding to the theatricality of the performance, break dances by apl.de.ap, will.i.am and Taboo were numerous and sporadic throughout the night. Only a couple minutes into the concert, Fergie did three consecutive one-handed cartwheels while singing the chorus of ‘Don’t Lie.’

Dena La’uren Drost, an undecided sophomore in The College of Arts and Sciences, said she loves the Black Eyed Peas because their music is fun to dance to. Drost was especially a fan of Ferige’s solo hit, ‘London Bridge.’

Drost wasn’t disappointed. Halfway through the show, Fergie came out to sing her new single, recorded and released without the other three members of the Black Eyed Peas.

The band didn’t fail to give the concert a personal touch. They often integrated New York shout-outs into their lyrics and at one point Taboo shouted, ‘Ain’t no party like a New York party.’

‘They kept comparing Syracuse to Boston and saying we were better,’ said Fagut. ‘They asked where all the SU girls were. They definitely talked to us like we were people. Some artists can get scripted and robotic. They did a really good job of getting the audience into it. They were full-out entertainers.’

If the past is any indication, The Black Eyed Peas’ personal touches throughout the concert may go far as to party with their fans after the show. When they played the Turning Stone Casino in April of last year, the band supposedly turned up at the popular student bar, Chuck’s.

‘We hope to see them at Chuck’s tonight like last time they were here,’ Schwartz said.

Published on August 27, 2006 at 12:00 pm