The typically tranquil Parade Ground radiated with hip-hop beats Saturday night as Ludacris drew thousands of students and community members to the annual Groovin’ on the Grounds concert.
The energetic crowd sang, danced and reveled in the headliner, as well as supporting acts Hunter Hayes, FreeSol and local band Hazy Ray, at the concert hosted by Students on Target.
DJ Infamous teased the thousands of audience members with clips of hip-hop songs before headliner Ludacris ran on stage in a thick hoodie around 10:15 p.m.
“Who’s the real, real Ludacris fans out there?” he asked the audience. When the whole crowd erupted in cheers, Ludacris told the DJ, “I think they’re lying.”
The Atlanta rapper tested the crowd’s knowledge by performing older songs like “Throw Them ‘Bows” as the audience shouted all the lyrics in unison.
“Looks like there is real Ludacris fans here,” he said in approval.
Electrical engineering freshman Giovoni King said she loved Ludacris’ interaction with the audience.
“He was connecting with everybody,” she said.
Ludacris gave shout-outs to numerous groups during his performance – University students, people from the “dirty South,” smokers, alcoholics and all races.
“A lot of the music is being integrated,” he told the crowd. “Everybody is working together and it’s a beautiful thing.”
He then performed his guest verses from songs like Fergie’s “Glamorous.” Though he didn’t curse at first – a Students on Target policy – the crowd shouted the words he didn’t.
By the end of the night, though, Ludacris had rapped almost every obscenity in his songs.
He took requests from the crowd, including “Move Bitch.”
 
“That’s a dangerous song,” he said before performing to the crowd’s approval.
Ludacris left the stage to roaring applause.
“LSU, I love y’all,” he shouted.
Hours earlier, not a cloud was in the sky when Battle of the Bands winner Hazy Ray first took the stage that was as tall and wide as the stately oaks behind it.
The self-described alternative/blues/jazz band played original and cover songs as students sunbathed, families threw Frisbees and teams played soccer.
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Audience members wearing shorts and T-shirts danced to songs like “Just the Two of Us” and original song “Linda,” which was written about lead singer and rhythm guitarist Josh Ray’s fiancee.
Lead guitarist Ryan Noormohommed said his favorite part of the show was being on the large Groovin’ stage. The band normally plays at smaller venues, where the volume is limited, he said.
“We finally reached an energetic climax,” he said. “We weren’t holding back.”
Hip-hop, rock and soul band FreeSol from Memphis, Tenn., took the stage next. Drummer Dave Mason and lead guitarist Angelo Merle had only been rehearsing with the band for three days before the concert, according to rapper Christopher “FreeSol” Anderson.
 
 
The band had to perform without usual guitarist E. Ives and drummer Kickman Teddy, who had a prior engagement before FreeSol was asked to appear at Groovin’.
“I almost said no because I didn’t want to play without them,” Anderson said.
Students on Target members passed out neon glowsticks during the band’s performance of “Restraining Order.” Crowd members wore them as crowns and necklaces as they waved their arms in unison to “Fascinated.”
“Some of y’all are all right, like sexy all right,” Anderson said to a group of bikini top-clad women dancing in the front row.
By the end of FreeSol’s performance, the entire audience, about 50 feet deep, was on its feet.
Anderson described the bond between a band and its audience as “intimate,” and he said the band is more passionate when the audience is enjoying the show.
Women in the crowd collectively screamed the name of Breaux Bridge native and country singer Hunter Hayes as he took the stage next in a tight, unbuttoned blue henley shirt.
“It’s so cool to be here and be with all these acts,” he said.
Before his performance, civil engineering senior Sarah Cochrane said she was looking forward to hearing Hayes.
“He’s really good at playing different instruments. He’s really talented,” she said.
Hayes was first famous for playing the accordion to songs like “Jambalaya” with Hank Williams Jr. at age 4.
Now 20, Hayes played numerous guitars and a keyboard at Groovin’ to original songs from his self-titled debut album and cover songs like “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away.”
Couples young and old jitterbugged and swayed in the crowd when Hayes changed the setlist at the last minute to play Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
A few thousand people applauded Hayes by the end of his set and commenced waiting for Ludacris.
The entire event cost about $190,000 and was funded by the Spring Concert Fund, Student Government sponsorship, LSU Dining sponsorship and SG constituent notifications, according to Khristen Jones, SG director of programming.
“We have all worked so hard to put on a show the students would enjoy, so seeing that hard work pay off meant everything,” Jones said in an e-mail.
Despite Students on Target’s no-alcohol policy and numerous bicycle-bound LSU Police officers, an abundance of Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager and Miller Lite beer bottles littered the Parade Ground at the end of the night.
Dental hygiene freshman Duke Sewell said he was surprised at the number of audience members and wondered who Students on Target would bring next year.
“I don’t know who they’re going to top [this with],” he said.
 
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Contact Danielle Kelley at [email protected]