If you were on the academic side of campus last night and happened to feel steady vibrations and pulsing under your feet, don't check the news for local earthquakes.
Starting around 8 p.m., hip-hop groups Black Violin and the Roots took over Burruss Auditorium, much to the delight of the diverse crowd of fans inside.
When the lights finally dimmed, the auditorium was only about a quarter of the way full, but that didn't quell the enthusiasm of DJ TK as he took the stage to introduce the opening act last night, Black Violin. He introduced the duo as the 2005 Apollo Champions, a reference to its first place win at the exclusive Showtime at the Apollo Legend competition.
Maybe it was a busy homecoming week, or maybe it was the rain or sticky humidity, but the crowd was noticeably lackluster at the beginning of the show. The opening band encouraged the audience to stand, and raise their arms, which they did after prodding.
If the audience didn't know who Black Violin was before the show began, it is doubtful that they were disappointed. For fans who seek the combination of true artistic integrity with original and meaningful ideas, the band was a pleasant surprise.
Members Wil-B and Kev Marcus are both classically trained musicians who have been playing violin together since they both attended the Dillard High School of Performing Arts in Florida.
Their expertise with - and love of - their instruments was more than apparent last night as the two showed off their unique style of mixing classical violin with modern top-40 hits, barely missing a note their entire set. The duo would play their instruments along with the songs, sometimes following along with the melody, and sometimes adding their own twists and harmonies.
DJ TK stood center stage during the show, controlling and mixing the songs that the duo intertwined with its instrumentals.
Black Violin appealed to the audience's knowledge of recent hip-hop and pop hits, opening the show with Kanye West's latest hit "Stronger," and quickly transitioned into mixes of hits including "This is Why I'm Hot," "Kick Push," "Crazy" and "Promiscuous Girl."
"I came to see Black Violin," said concert-goer Blacksburg resident Tiffany Sanders. "I fell in love with the violin in 3rd grade, so when (my fiance, Professor Waymer) told me about them, I said 'let's go check them out,' and they were better than I expected."
"(The best part was) the way they started out with classical music, and like (the band) said 'put a little stank on it,'" said Professor Waymer of the Department of Communication.
Surprisingly, the audience, who seemingly couldn't get enough of their impressive instrumental skill, very well received the band's classical interludes and intros. When they played a lone classical medley towards the end of their set, the crowd was noticeably vocal and impressed.
Like the band members said from stage, "It's about good music; it's a classical musician expressing how we see hip-hop."
Concertgoers who liked what they heard likely noted that the band has a new CD coming out this fall that will be lighter on the pop music.
"We won't be talking about rims," one band member joked, and featuring bands like the Temptations.
They featured one such song last night, telling the crowd, "This is one song you can share with your mother and father. You both can dance to it," before launching into a mash-up of their classical violin over "Hum Along and Dance," a soul and Motown-style song originally recorded by the Temptations.
The band ended its performance with a poem written by one band member titled "Rhythms of Joy."
"You guys been through a lot of s--- this year," he said. "I wanted to read this to you. Will you let me do that?"
As the lights dimmed for a second time, the auditorium was about a third of the way full, and fans remained on the edge of their seats waiting for the main event.
"I've been a Roots fain since about 1997 or '98. The last time they were in Blacksburg I saw them, about seven years ago, and I definitely had to come back," said VT graduate Matt Hudson. "They're a real band, and I'm expecting them to take care of business, do what they always do, what they came to do, and rock the house."
"The Roots are just a dynamic band, and the BSA always tries to bring the best of the best," said BSA President Portia Galloway, on their decision to bring the group to Tech.
Low music emanated from the stage as the band's equipment was arranged, in the pauses between which shouts of "?uestlove!" could be heard from all corners of the crowd.
The legendary drummer was definitely one of the main attractions last night.
When asked what he was most excited about, university studies major Logan Tibout only replied, "?uestlove. He's a bad a-- drummer."
BSA President Portia Galloway echoed his sentiment, "?uestlove is what students are really looking forward to. He's an excellent lyricist."
The audience jumped a mile to their feet as a spotlight illuminated lead MC Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter who let the crowd know, "you are now rockin' with the best," before kicking into the band's first song.
Rhyming in rapid-fire bursts so fast it was almost impossible to follow, he kicked off the night with the band's song "Web," sending the crowd crazy.
Toward the end of the song, the lights on the rest of the stage went up revealing the full band, which included a set of bongo drums alongside a traditional drum set, guitar, bass, keyboard and even a tuba.
Without a pause, the band launched into its hit "Game Theory," and the band remained upbeat during the high-energy set, with even the tuba player still bopping around the stage throughout.
Throughout the night, the band played an incredibly crowd-pleasing set, mixing old favorites with newer tracks and keeping the audience on its feet and rapt with attention.
"(The Roots) are quality music, and it has a purpose to it," said freshman engineering major Jazmin Doss.
Last night's concert in Burruss will certainly be one that the audience won't forget for a long time.