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By Katie Chiplaski and Sydney Claypool

What’s more intense than waiting two hours for a Bow Wow concert? Being thrown against the stage by crazed fans so excited that they could not control themselves. That’s what happened to these two Advocate reporters on Sunday, September 2, 2012, at The Grove in Lincoln, Nebraska. Needless to say the security guards didn’t stand a chance. That’s how popular Bow Wow is.

A few hours before one of the biggest back to school concerts here in Lincoln Nebraska, we stood in line, nervous to see this rising star, along with his opening acts: Shannon Marie, Scru Face Jean, Fieldhouse, Tae & Ace and the AllStars. The line was growing, and fans were getting anxious. It’s not every day a big artist comes to Lincoln, especially high time performers like these.

Minutes before the doors opened more fans crowded around The Grove, ready to see Bow Wow, hoping that he would notice one of them, or just touch their hand.

“I can’t believe that he’s actually coming to Lincoln,” Omaha fan Maya said. “Usually he goes to places like Kansas City or something. Tickets are really cheap too – $25 for general seating and $60 for VIP. I just wonder how they got somebody like him to come here.”

As we entered The Grove with only few people on the dance floor and the D.J playing Trey Songz ft. T.I., 2 Reasons blowing the speakers, more people started to gather around the tightly squared floor ready for the show to start. Most sat back in the booths patiently waiting for the concert of a lifetime.

The opening acts really set the stage for Bow Wow. Their energy was high and, they were boosting up the crowds. You could feel the power of “want” pulsing through the screams.

“I love performing in Lincoln, the participation is way different then Omaha,” opening R&B singer Shannon Marie said. “Teenagers know how to have fun – no drama. I just love it; it makes me feel young again.” And right she was. The majority of the crowd surrounding the stage were in fact teenagers ranging from ages 15-20 – mainly girls but there were definitely some guys in the crowd, too.

As more and more opening acts went by, tensions in the crowd built rapidly. Some began to chant, “Bow Wow” over and over. But still they introduced more acts… holding him off till the end.

“It feels good to be in Lincoln again,” opening performer Scru Face Jean said. “ I opened up for Kid Ink here in Lincoln, went on tour with Taylor Gang (Wiz Khalifa), and opened up for MGK (Machine Gun Kelly).” The same thing goes through his head through each performance: “Kill the show.” He did a wonderful job, and he had the crowd jumping and yelling along.

After hearing all the talented opening acts. It was time for the main event. “Back away from the stage! You can’t touch the stage!” warned the staff as we waited for Bow Wow to come rock the stage.

As the remix of “Teach Me How To Dougie” blasted through the speakers deafening the crowd, he finally ran on stage with his black shirt that had “Bow Wow 87 YMCMB” printed with red letters, red All Stars and white Polo Socks, with an unusual pair of camouflage shorts. He started the show. His music was loud and unrecognizable but the crowd loved it. They chanted his name wanting more, he loved the attention and participation of the crowd. Everyone was dancing as best as they could with minimal space, and jumping to the beat of his music.

Fans were chaotic – screaming, dancing and singing along, meanwhile pressing us against the stage. When Bow Wow moved stage left, the crowd somehow moved with him. When he’d rush back to stage right we’d be back where we started. They would do anything to get close to him. There was no space between any bodies, so when Bow Wow took off his shirt and leaned down right in front of us singing to a fan, you can bet that lack of space, somehow became even less.

It was a great experience to be a part of it all. Students and adults both loved the performance. The participation was beyond all belief. It was an excellent concert in our opinion. We can’t wait to see who Lincoln will bring us next. Keep checking our Facebook and Twitter feeds for future live music reviews.

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