LEWISTON — Screaming fans moved in unison from left to right with hands held high above their heads when Curtis James Jackson III hit the spotlight on the Colisee stage Sunday night.
Rapper 50 Cent performs to 2,500 people at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday night.
Rapper 50 Cent performs to 2,500 people at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday night.
Rap star 50 Cent takes the stage before his concert at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday evening. Over 2,000 people attended the event.
Samantha Prior, 16, of Biddeford, is all smiles as she is the first person to be admitted to the 50 Cent concert after waiting in line with her mother, Misty Franco, directly behind Prior, for three hours. The third person in line was Valarie Schones, 20, of Augusta, who had been waiting in the parking lot since noon. Over a thousand people wrapped around the parking lot of the Androscoggin Bank Colisee at 6 p.m. when the doors opened.
A line of people waiting to gain entrance to the 50 Cent concert at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee wrapped its way around the parking lot at 6 p.m. Sunday. About 3,000 people were expected to attend the rap concert.
Concert-goers are searched before entering the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday night for the 50 Cent concert. "We're looking for knives, lighters, cigarettes, illegal drugs, pretty much anything they shouldn't have," said security personnel Dale Stout of Biddeford.
Rapper 50 Cent performs to 2,500 people at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday night.
Rapper 50 Cent performs to 2,500 people at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee Sunday night.
Of course, if asked, it's a safe bet that many of the more than 2,500 people wouldn't have a clue who Curtis James Jackson III was.
But everyone knew 50 Cent.
"Hands up! Hands up! Hands up!" 50 Cent yelled to the crowd, getting everyone swaying back and forth as they pumped their open hands forward.
Best known by his stage name, the Grammy Award-winning rapper hit the music scene in the late 1990s and rose to fame in 2003 with the release of "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." He starred in a semi-autobiographical movie by the same name in 2005.
But Sunday he was all about the beat in the Twin Cities. Flanked by bass speakers that hung from the ceiling of the Colisee and stretched to about 25 feet off the floor, 50 Cent was joined on stage by two other rappers in an energized showcase of rhythmic lyrics. Meanwhile, the bass beat literally vibrated through the floor, walls and ceiling of the building and could even be felt outside.
"The music is my favorite because it has a good beat," said Xavier Jackson as he displayed some of his best dance moves for the crowd just minutes before 50 Cent took the stage.
The 9-year-old Lewiston boy attended the show with his mom, Julita Jackson, 26. It was his second major concert, and his mom said she will likely take him to more. Julita Jackson said she aims to teach her kids about all different types of music and hopes to see the Colisee start bringing in more major acts.
"I'd really like to see Lewiston doing a mix," the older Jackson said as she hovered close to her son. "There's a lot of diversity around here, so they should bring a lot of diversity in. This is what makes Lewiston Lewiston."
50 Cent's performance in Lewiston certainly drew a diverse crowd to the Colisee. From bling jewelry and big heels to gray hair and leather motorcycle vests, the 34-year-old rapper attracted a wide variety of concert-goers.
"We live in Maine. How many famous people do we get to see?" asked Derek Johnston, 20, of Hartland.
Johnston wasn't alone in his question — or his request that followed: bring more major acts to Vacationland. Several concert-goers said a big part of the draw was just being able to see a headliner like 50 Cent come to Lewiston.
"We definitely need more. I think Lewiston is good for having concerts here," said Kevin Martin, 40, of Auburn. "The Colisee is a good place to have shows."
Martin and his friends were among the more than 1,000 people standing in line waiting for the doors to open about 6 p.m. Many in the group said they would love to see bigger acts come to town. This year alone the Colisee brought in headliners Shinedown, Korn and now 50 Cent.
Add to that Bates College welcoming Snoop Dog this past winter, and the Twin Cities looks like it has the potential to be a major player on the concert scene — especially given its smaller, more personal venues.
"We're from Boston, so this small venue is awesome," said Jenna Maillet, 23, who made the two-hour-plus drive from Massachusetts with her boyfriend. "We'd never be able to be so close down there."
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