This past weekend, Indy was swept with basketball fans from across the country for the NBA’s annual All-Star Weekend festivities. While there were multiple activities for fans to enjoy leading up the game on Sunday, the most drawing event seemed to be the artist’s that headlined the Michelob Ultra Stage.
The concert lineup for this year was nothing short of star-studded this year, and offered something for everyone. Throughout the weekend, six artists performed their own setlist for ticket holding fans. There was also a “pre-game” concert on Thursday, where tickets were free if you were lucky enough to grab a pair. The lineup included Keith Urban, Lil Wayne, Zedd, Jelly Roll, and more. Tickets for the event were $50 for general admission, or $100 for VIP. VIP fans were able to stand closer to the stage.
Matthew Hermann, an attendee of all four days of concerts, said, “Watching these artists perform made me fans of their music even if I didn’t know them before.”
Shaquille O’Neal, better known as Shaq, or DJ Diesel, opened up the concert series on Thursday night with a rave-style show. During his set, he brought up multiple fans from the crowd to join him on stage. Following that, Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK, took the stage as the headliner for the night. MGK performed multiple of his radio hits, including, “My Ex’s Best Friend.” After the show, he walked around the front row to greet fans.
Zedd, a widely known EDM performer, headlined the All-Star Stage on Friday. Zedd performed multiple songs of his, such as, “Clarity,” as well as remixes of other popular songs. Zedd’s set had a ‘light show’ effect, utilizing flashing lights and beams. T-pain, a widely known rapper, opened up the show for him, hyping up the crowd by performing his own hits.
Saturday was for country music fans! The lineup included three widely known country artists; Keith Urban, Walker Hayes, and Jelly Roll. Doors opened early in the day, as it was divided into two separate shows. The first show opened with Walker Hayes, who is best known for his ‘tik tok’ songs, including, “Fancy Like.” Hayes pumped the crowd up for the headlining act, Keith Urban. Urban played a mix of covers and his radio hits, such as, “Long Hot Summer.” Jelly Roll, the most recent recipient of CMT’s new Artist of the Year award, headlined his own show separately.
Sunday, the fourth and final day of the concert series, was headlined by Lil Wayne. The most notable aspect of the show was the head-to-toe All-Star attire that Lil Wayne wore on stage. Kid Quill, a new rapper opened the show for him. Fans enjoyed the concert with dancing and smoking.
“Seeing him front row was a once in a lifetime experience,” Jennifer Hipp, a lifelong fan of Keith Urban, said, “I’ll never have to see him in concert again because nothing will compare to how this show was.”
The shows were all sold out by the time that the performers took the stage, with Lil Wayne being first to sell out. It’s safe to say that NBA fans are excited to see what next year’s lineup will look like.
