Wiz Khalifa, Capital Cities Leaves Great Impression On SHSU

By Cheval John

Over 5,100 students, faculty and staff were not disappointed with the Sammypalooza Concert featuring Capital Cities and Wiz Khalifa.

Recently, the concert was held at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on the campus of Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, Texas.

Sammypalooza is a event that brings well known acts to the student body of SHSU.

Presenters who were part of the yearly event includes Ludacris, Mike Epps, Nick Kroll, Gabriel Iglesias, Aziz Ansari and Jack Ingram.

Many students were standing in line for about three hours hoping to get a front stage view of the artists.

Once inside, the atmosphere was rocking.

SHSU student Kelly Whitaker, who was covering the event for www.backstageol.com, said that having both Capital Cities and Wiz Khalifa was not only great for the university, but for the city of Huntsville.

“People come to this school thinking that it’s a prison city,” Whitaker said. “But then they see the campus and surrounding areas and think differently.”

It took months for SHSU’s Department of Student Activities to plan the concert.

The staff sent out a survey to the thousands of students using Facebook to get their input on who they wanted to see at the event.

Once that was decided, they got the ball rolling and from there, they worked with Ed Chatal, Associate Director of Facilities of Recreational Sports, who oversees the Coliseum in coordinating the stage setup and take down once the concert was over.

Before Capital Cities stepped on stage, the song, “Don’t Know Much” by Aaron Neville and Linda Rondstadt was played to get everyone in the mood.

From that moment, the alternative rock band from Los Angeles belted out the tunes including their main hit, “Safe and Sound.”

Then the atmosphere got really electric when Wiz Khalifa came on stage and performed his many songs including “Work Hard, Play Hard,” and “Black and Yellow.”

One thing that I took away from the concert is that it is getting better year after year and that many people are discovering the hidden gems that the university community and the city has to offer.

SHSU student Hailey Porter, who was one of the “lucky” ones to get a front stage view of the artists, seems to agree.

“I think he (Wiz Khalifa) was a great choice,” Porter said. “He’s a great performer. The environment was awesome.”