Point

By Erica Blonde

Watching the Ying Yang Twins perform with Harkness Tower in my peripheral vision was one of the highlights of my life. Everyone can say whatever they want about the Twins, but they give a hell of a good live performance.

The only problem was the weak opening. I don’t know if it was the fact that I didn’t know the song or that I was living in fear that protestors would rush the stage, thereby crushing me, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

But it was like being on an airplane: After five minutes passed and I realized the Ying Yang Twins were still up there and no one was going to die, it was a total blast.

As promised, they played just about every song they’ve had even one line in. We danced to our Bar/Bat Mitzvah faves like “Shake,” “Get Low” and “Miss New Booty” without the acne, Jessica McClintock dresses and tie-dye socks. We sang along to “Wait (the Whisper Song),” “Salt Shaker,” Dangerous” and “Boom.” The Ying Yang Twins actually SANG their hit songs (which is more than I can say for other bands), and they did it well.

Up until they performed, I wondered what the Ying Yang Twins thought of all the controversy surrounding their performance. Apparently their sentiments can be summarized in their song title “F* what a hater thank.” Was it the classiest way to handle the situation? Probably not. But it’s the Ying Yang Twins, and in a way they’re right. Those of us that were there were there to dance and have fun with a band we’ve (like it or not) all been listening to since we were 12. Sure it wasn’t for everyone, but neither are the carillonneurs, and their concerts are mandatory.

My favorite part of the YYT performance was the way they interacted with the audience. Kaine and D-Roc moved about the stage constantly dancing, making great eye contact with the crowd and throwing towels. D-Roc even jumped off the stage at one point to shake hands (including mine!). They both looked like they were having a blast, and the audience fed off that energy.

Whatever your feelings are toward the Ying Yang Twins, they were hands down the best performers at this year’s Spring Fling.

Counterpoint

By Jordan Schneider

Misogyny? Minstrelsy? Misfire?

The least they could do was live up to the controversy and bring a stripper pole.

On stage, they were alright. They ran through their hits and their banter like aging pros. Granted, they had more energy than the uncouth MGMT, but where were the crunk / objectifiable dancers?

And why did the giant goon “DJ” start to spin Jay-Z’s “On to the Next One” and Lil Wayne’s “Drop It Low Girl”? We didn’t pay however-many thousand dollars to hear Ying Yang’s iPod. I would have preferred the dirty south crunk jams from Spring Fling co-chair Pete Croughan’s ’12 iTunes.

The most fun I had during the concert was running into Matt and Kim and giving them my pistachios.