Picture the scene. You are sitting on a white couch towards the back of the Grand Ballroom of the Grand America Hotel In Salt Lake City, surrounded by tabletop dancers in black leotards and full-length black fishnet hose. Most of the people around you are standing in front of the stage or around high tables, in some state of drunkenness, while you sit and observe your surroundings with a keen but tolerant eye. Lovely cocktail waitresses dressed in white mid-thigh length dresses walk around with treys taking drink orders, delivering drinks, or busing the tables and receiving empty glasses to return the cycle again [1]. The audience is made up of data scientists, managers, and executives of data-driven companies seeking to use Domo to better control their information sources and present it to key stakeholders, as well as a lot of Domo employees. To be honest, it was a far more decadent scene than I am used to, but the company was friendly for the most part, except for some of the more rude drunks at the end of the night.

After a lengthy wait to get in (where I managed to say hi to some of the guests, at least one of whom was famous [2] Robin Thicke opened the night with a skit that was aimed clearly at the ladies, at least those ladies who were a bit on the naughty side, I suppose. He did not play “Blurred Lines” until I was gone in the restroom, nor any other Marvin Gaye songs, but he did play a couple of Michael Jackson covers (“Rock With You” and “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” which closed his set) as well as some of his more obscure but tuneful songs (“Shake It For Daddy,” “Give It To You”). He gave props to his live band, which got the chance to stretch out songs and play some energetic solos, and he danced and threw his jacket out to the audience, and played the piano, and danced on top of the piano at least a couple times. It was a good performance, and signified he is ready to perform again. Now, if only he was able to have another big hit, the absence of “Blurred Lines” would not be so troublesome to casual fans who had nothing to sing along to.

After another very lengthy but entertaining dj set, Ludacris made it clear who had the best performance of the night. Aside from having the spotlights shining on those of us sitting in the back and daring us to stand up, the performance was free of any awkward moments for the audience. Ludacris played a crowd-friendly set, playing a lot of early hits (“How Many Licks?,” “Yeah,” “Area Codes,” to name a few), some newer material (“Beast Mode [3]”), and my favorite song ever for driving, if I want to tempt a speeding ticket because of how aggressive it makes me feel (“Move B****”). He even asked for requests from the audience (“How Low?”). He also gave his backing band, including a backing rapper, the chance for solos, and even gave his dj the chance for an extended mix to show his considerable skills. There is no question that Ludracris was at the top of his game, and even if his sales have slipped a bit, he has the right attitude to continue to make great music and please audiences. It is an attitude that will serve him well.

Finally, at the end, Kid Ink played to a sparse audience that did not know any of his original songs and that was distracted by conversations as well as dancers. He played some covers, which were done competently, and Kid Ink’s own material was certainly worth nodding one’s head to. It was not necessarily memorable, except for one particularly strong track about having been through difficult circumstances and looking for light from a lighter, but it was decent material that was enjoyable to listen to as a sort of pleasant background to one’s attempt not to stay up too late or get too drunk while talking with one’s fellow conference attendees. That said, since I did not know any of his original songs, it is not likely to be a concert I remember in any kind of detail in the future. It would have been better suited to the opening act, as it was, it felt like a somewhat disappointing coda to an otherwise enjoyable, if lengthy, evening of music.

[1] The cocktail waitress who kept me well-stocked in shirley temples this evening was named Jacy. Initially, I had to explain to her what a shirley temple was, as she was unfamiliar with that particular virgin drink, but once she knew what it was she did an excellent job. Throughout the course of the evening I got to know her a little bit. She said she works as a hula hoop dancer as well, and at the end of the night, she changed into her dancer’s uniform, minus the hose, and gave a show of her impressive skills with two hula hoops, one of which was sometimes used by various observers who were not very good at dancing. She also sells hula hoops as well as dancing and being a cocktail waitress, but she does not go to school, as she has a boyfriend and a one-year old child, which probably keeps her very busy. It was nice to have such a friendly waitress, though.

[2] For a hint on who it was:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/im-just-here-because-i-love-data/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/you-know-why-im-here/

[3] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/beast-mode/