Generous.
That’s the word that keeps coming to my mind when I think about Flo Rida’s 90-minute Saturday, Oct. 15, The Big Fresno Fair concert. This man gives, and he gives a lot.
It’s not just the energy he brings to his stage performance – hands pumping, feet jumping, sweat dripping as he gets low in the groove in front of his Wild Things dancers, live band and DJ Chronic – it’s his interaction with the crowd. He goes in, unafraid to mingle with his fans. He lives in a social age, and he plays to it in every way.
@official_flo kicking things off with Good Feelig. pic.twitter.com/F5XwMVYFSg
— Kathy Mahan (@km_squared) October 16, 2016
Here’s a taste of his generosity during his 14-song performance.
On “Where Them Girls At,” the fourth song into the show, he brought out a dozen red roses, “The Bachelor” style,” kissed the roses and tossed them purposefully into the crowd.
The next song, “Low,” he encouraged fans to jump on Snap Chat to share when he invited about 50 “ladies” (from little girls to older women) on stage to dance and sing with him. He moved from lady to lady, giving many a few minutes of personal time, including singing with two cute pre-teens and taking a few selfies.
@official_flo making some #Fresno fans super happy @BigFresnoFair pic.twitter.com/YJ18oQaMOx
— Kathy Mahan (@km_squared) October 16, 2016
It gets better, really.
After leaving the stage to change his sweaty black T-shirt and leather vest to a No. 13 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins football jersey, he returned with a wad of cash. As he said in an Instagram post an hour after the Fresno show ended, he was in “a giving mood,” making it rain dollars as he tossed handfuls of bills over the crowd. (Yep, $1 landed in my hands - and nearly everyone in my entire row.)
Next, on “Club Can’t Handle This” he took a shot and then shared the drink with fans, sending Big Zach, one of his crew, into the crowd to hand out shots (to anyone over 21, of course.)
And, there’s more.
On “GDFR” he took a ride on Big Zach’s shoulders into the crowd. Up the center aisle toward the back of the Paul Paul Theatre, high-fiving fans, grabbing cell phones to take selfies, singing with kids, then down the side aisle. I don’t know how Big Zach does it. He deserves a shout out for carrying Flo through nearly an entire song.
Then on “Zillionaire,” he asked Big Zach to give a gold watch to “his loudest fan.”
On “My House,” he brought a cute little boy on stage to sing with him. More selfies.
He ended with “Green Light,” where he again ventured into the crowd to snap off selfies.
I told you this was a social concert.
The thing about it was that I didn’t find the interactions distracting. He would cue the band in and out of each moment, starting and stopping songs in a seamless way that never took the energy out of the performance. Through it all he sang, danced and made fans feel important. It was a party, and he was the charming host who left fans with personal, cool memories.
Pumped up show from @official_flo at @BigFresnoFair tonight in #Fresno pic.twitter.com/xWKWgllc0T
— FresnoBeehive (@FresnoBeehive) October 16, 2016
I want to mention one other point: This was a family friendly show. It attracted a mixed crowd. There were a lot of kids, even some as young as 5 or 6, and moms dancing and having fun. There was no cussing or bad language that I heard. The only real adult things were those shots and spraying the audience with champagne. It was kind of refreshing and positive.
I would not have called myself a Flo Rida fan before the show. I like pop music, and I knew I would know a lot of songs (I knew 12 of the 14 just from listening to the radio). I was curious about the show, so I volunteered to review it. Now I’m a fan.
Go here for more reviews of The Big Fresno Fair concerts.
Kathy Mahan: 559-441-6351, @km_squared
Setlist
Good Feeling
Right Round
In the Ayer
Where Them Girls At
Low
Hello Friday
Club Can’t Handle Me
I Don’t Like It, I Love It
Whistle
GDFR
Wild Ones
Zillionaire
My House
Green Light
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