By: Gracie Roberts

Students at the University of Oregon were pleasantly surprised to hear that RJD2 would be putting on a performance in their own Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater on Friday, May 6. This big-name artist made his appearance to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of the school’s own radio station, KWVA 88.1 FM. After two opening performances by The Secret Whistle and Tyree Harris, the crowd was fired up for the main event.

As RJD2 (RJ Krohn) took to the stage wearing a simple green V-neck shirt and sipping a water bottle, he gave a polite greeting to the audience with the characteristic nonchalance of a seasoned pro. This Eugene native was overjoyed to be playing for a hometown crowd—so much so, he put on the show for free. That’s right, a free show by RJD2 on a college campus. To say the least, there was an impressive turnout that consisted of both students and members of the greater Eugene community. “Enjoy yourselves,” RJ called to the audience as he began a selection of songs that weaved through multiple albums, including “Ghostwriter”, “1976” and “Iced Lightning” from Since We Last Spoke, and the title track of The Horror.

The audience was clearly falling for this multitalented man with the turntables, and as the show continued, a mosh pit steadily grew in the center of the crowd. In fact, the security staff of the university had to issue several “requests” to stop the crowdsurfing in the pit.

A prolific hip-hop icon who has produced beats for a wide array of underground and above-board rappers, Krohn was catapulted to indie-darlinghood for 2002’s Deadringer and 2004’s Since We Last Spoke. His latest live concert video, Live at the Rave, was released on iTunes just last month, and features an intimate performance filmed in 2010 at The Rave in Milwaukee.

Although the Erb was on the smaller side, the impressive size of the crowd made up for the available space. People of all ages were there to experience this musical must-see. This show proved to be much more than simply a free performance. Instead, RJD2 left the audience in a great mood—uplifted and invigorated—with quality music echoing in their heads.