Concert Review: New Talent Mike Posner Gives Inventive Performance at CMC

Twenty-one years old and completing his senior year at Duke University, Mike Posner is just a regular college-going guy. That is, aside from the fact that he’s a singer, songwriter, and producer, has brought out two mixtapes in one year, and has signed a label deal with J Records.When Posner is not on his own campus studying sociology or spending time with his Sigma Nu brothers, he is touring his albums. He has become a massive success at college parties in California, so it was only a matter of time before he came to Claremont and rocked out in the infamous white tent on Green last Saturday.I had not heard of Posner prior to this event, but there was much hype about the concert, and I had heard that Posner was making waves all over the West Coast. His mixtape, One Foot Out the Door, is freely available to download on iTunes, which is how Posner gets his music out to his fans.I underestimated the ways that music spreads: it had been about a week since his mixtape was released. And yet, when he performed at CMC, the crowd was singing along to all the songs word-for-word, and everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his music. The crowd was as enthusiastic as they were at the Ludacris show. The handfuls of people who had come for a party or for a good time, without knowing who Posner was, did not seem to be enjoying themselves, and many left to try and find a better time at the Jungle Party at Harvey Mudd or some other Saturday night fiasco. But for the rest of the fist-pumping crowd, the music, the packed dance floor, the awesome lighting, and, of course, the free beer all contributed to making it an extremely successful event.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Standout Tracks:“You Don’t Have to Leave,” “Red Button,” “Cooler Than Me”

Posner was an amazing entertainer: he established a real connection with the crowd by constantly talking between songs, keeping everyone attentive, excited, and cheering for more, and creating a really friendly atmosphere.Posner presents himself as a real down-to-earth kid who enjoys singing and has this natural popstar aura about him. He says he replies to everyone who writes to him on Facebook and really goes all out in giving attention to his fans—believable, because at the performance, he seemed to be catering to every single audience member. His music and his songs are very personal to him and make him out to be an extremely likeable person. Posner is also way bigger than you would think: he has opened for 50 Cent, Akon, and Gym Class Heroes, and his new album has collaborations with Kid Cudi, Wale, 3OH!3, and Big Sean.I really liked his new mixtape, even though his music is definitely whitewashed with a pop sound, Posner is hip-hop, he is R&B, and he is electro. Although there were some spots on the mix where I thought his voice was a bit too childish, in person he has a very wide range of abilities with his vocal strings. And when he combines these skills with his synthesizers, his music is inventive, new, and progressive.I really feel that there is nothing we should not expect from Posner. His tracks are a combination of hard beats, heavy melodic ornamentation, and funk, which is a blend of various styles. As long as Posner is able to continue finishing all his papers and homework on plane rides to various shows, this musical talent is definitely going to make it big.