Last Saturday, Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) was treated to a phenomenal performance by two of the biggest pop stars of the last decade, Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny. Except it wasn’t actually them. Rather, the Grant Campus was given a treat from two wonderful impersonators who could easily fool someone like me, who doesn’t have a single song from either artist on any of his playlists.
To a crowd of roughly 100 in the theatre of the Sagitikos Arts and Sciences Building, the impersonators played some of the biggest hits from both artists. From Gaga’s chart-topping claim to fame Poker Face, to Bad Bunny’s 2018 collaboration with Cardi B “I Like It Like That,” the performers kept the diverse crowd, from young students to elderly Suffolk residents, engaged with the music.
The Bad Bunny impersonator even sung Bad Bunny’s less mainstream, at least to a non-Spanish speaking American, songs in perfect Spanish, despite outing himself as a ‘white guy’ on stage. He even took a slight detour to start playing The Real Slim Shady by Eminem, where he got the crowd to collectively scream “PLEASE STAND UP” on multiple occasions. The best part of the show was Madam Gaga’s wardrobe, especially her sparkly red shoes that were more eye-catching than Dorothy’s in The Wizard of Oz.
Behind the two performers were two crucial factors that played a vital role in the show’s success. First, behind every great singer is an even greater band. The band made up of middle-aged men gave the performers the background sound needed to sell the experience of being at a Lady Gaga or Bad Bunny Concert. The other factor that sold the performance was the impressive sound and lighting system the Sagtikos Theatre has. There was no chance for the audience to become disinterested, as the theater was exceptionally loud. That and the lights that could go from a colorful salvo to a bright spotlight gave the performance a degree of professionalism that greatly impressed me and the audience.
As someone who came to the show unsure of what to expect, my expectations were extraordinarily surpassed. I would highly recommend the performance to anyone with a sliver of interest in music. I would also encourage anyone to attend an event this semester at the Sagtikos Theatre just because of its impressive lighting and sound equipment. And to note, the greatest thing about this event was the price. It was free of charge, as all students are entitled to two free tickets to any of Suffolk County Community College’s (SCCC) events. To all students, take advantage of it!