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Staff Picks: Our Movin’ On 2017 Wish List

Though Sylly week is barely behind us, it’s never too early to be thinking about the end of the spring semester. No, not graduation or leaving the happiest of valleys, but the exciting events that only come in the spring.

One of our all-time favorite events? Penn State’s annual spring concert: Movin’ On. Free for everyone and marking the new warmth of spring weather and excitement for summer, this day is cherished by all Penn Staters. With past headliners including Nelly, Walk The Moon, Passion Pit, and Wiz Khalifa, the day of festivities never disappoints. Even though the school year just started, we think it’s important to get our wishlist out there; after all, it takes some time to get those big acts to commit.

Here’s who we’d love to see take the stage May 1. Behold: Our wish list for Movin’ On 2017!

J. Cole – Gabi Stevenson

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t know at least one line to a J. Cole song? To me, J. Cole is a little more tame than someone like Kendrick Lamar, but still creates great, powerful music that we all can understand on some level, unlike someone like Future. J. Cole could create a great line-up of his best hits combined with some deep tracks for his more devoted fans. J. Cole is fun, youthful, and influential, and just the right person to get you in your zone for Movin’ On.

Hoodie Allen – Claire Fountas

You’re procrastinating finals like a pro, you’re slightly inebriated, and there’s “No Interruption” to be found. That is until a 5’6″ dude is suddenly surfing the crowd and you’re left to wonder when he decided to throw an entire cake into the audience and how long that jump rope created out of girls’ sacrificed bras has been up there on stage. After seeing Hoodie Allen twice already during his time in Chicago, it’s clear that his energy is simply contagious. I’ve seen my fair share of performers (or so I’d like to think), and there are few people on this Earth that can amp up a crowd like Hoodie can.

Whether you’re looking to scream some questionably suggestive hip hop lyrics or you’re just feeling some slow jams, Hoodie’s got it at all. He does a great job of choosing songs to perform that add variety to his show which maintains the audience’s interest, keeping fans on their toes the entire show. I’ll also argue until the day I die that there’s almost no artist out there whose lyrics resonate with the typical college kid more than his (“Don’t you tell me that it’s alright because I’m anticipating a long night.” Whether it’s that final exam you’re cramming for or that night out that you already know isn’t going to end well, Hoodie clearly understands). And here’s a bonus: He released his latest album Happy Camper just last year, which means an assortment of songs to look forward to that you likely haven’t seen performed yet.

The 1975 – Carolyn Popescu 

I’m a sucker for anything indie or alternative pop, but The 1975 never fails to disappoint. This quirky, upbeat, British band would absolutely kill it at Movin’ On. Even if you’ve never heard of them, their sound is positively infectious and impossible not to bop around to. Their most recent album is jam packed with some groovy tunes like “The Sound”, “Love Me”, “UGH!”, and “She’s American.” They offer the perfect balance between mellow/relaxed and dancey/feel good vibes. Their older classics like “Chocolate” and “Girls” are obvious crowd pleasers. A band like this would put on a great show and really get the students moving. Witnessing The 1975 perform live would be a magical start to a nice, long summer…especially after a year full of stressful work.

Troye Sivan & Alessia Cara – Tim Reams 

I think this one may be a little bit bold, but I seriously think this is who Movin’ On will feature this spring. I had it narrowed down to Troye, Alessia, and The 1975, but seeing it that The 1975 are booked solid on tour, I don’t see them making an appearance in Happy Valley. Troye is on the rise nearly every week, but he seems like he is still bookable at this point for our music festival, and I really think he’ll bring along his best friend Alessia Cara, who like Troye, has tripled her popularity in the last 12 months nearly two-fold. I’d love to see this go down, not only because it would be a great live show, but because it will continue to put Happy Valley on the radar as a performing spot for rising artists.

Anderson .Paak – Ethan Kasales 

I’d love to see Movin’ On bring Anderson Paak to Happy Valley. The Oxnard, California native made waves this past summer on Dr. Dre’s Compton before landing standout features with the likes of Mac Miller, Domo Genesis, and The Game. .Paak grew up playing the drums in his church band and he’s evolved into one of the most well-rounded musicians and entertainers out there. I’ve just recently gone back and listened to some of his projects with The Free Nationals — Malibu (2016) and Venice (2014) — and it’s easy to see why his music translates so well to a live venue.

Chance the Rapper – Katie Klodowski 

Chance the Rapper is the perfect act to bring to a college campus; he is a young up-and-coming artist who is now famous enough to make waves with his performance (yes, that was an intentional Kanye pun). His most recent album Coloring Book has some songs that are catchy enough to be party hits and others that are more deep and spiritual (which is good because all college kids like to think that they’re deep). Aside from the fact that Chance has made some great music in the past few months, he also perfect for the gig because he is very supportive of free music. Chance understands that his audience grew up with services like Napster and Limewire; instead of fighting the fact that the music industry is changing, he rides along with it. Chance said it himself: “Music is all we got.” What’s more, Chance has recently been under the tutelage of Kanye. So after seeing Kanye in September, it’s only fair we see his prodigy in the spring.

Twenty One Pilots – Lexi Shimkonis

Last year I argued that Walk the Moon would be the perfect lively act for Movin’ On, a performance fit for a headliner. When the lineup was announced and the festival came, the big-name act didn’t disappoint. This year I’d argue the perfect headliner for Movin’ On would undoubtedly, unarguably be Twenty One Pilots. The band reached crazy mainstream success this year after the release of its second studio album, “Blurryface,” and anyone who’s been to a live show raves about the duo’s onstage antics and energy. Songs like “Ode To Sleep,” “Tear In My Heart,” and “Holding Onto You” would have the crowd pumped up and up-tempo ukulele anthems like “House of Gold” show off singer Tyler Joseph’s voice and can get everyone singing along. Plus everyone knows at least one Twenty One Pilots song so the performance would resonate with all attendees. Does Movin’ On have the budget or pull to land Twenty One Pilots at this point in their career? Perhaps not, but if they can pull it off now’s the perfect time for the alternative-rap mega-stars to take over the IM Fields.

Not a fan of any of these artists? Comment below and tell us who you’re dying to see perform at Movin’ On!

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Staff

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