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KINGSTON – Silento headlined a concert Friday night at the Kingston Armory to just under 1,000 screaming fans. The 17-year-old singer/rapper is riding the wave of his hit single, with its own signature dance move already engrained in pop culture, “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).”
Darnell Ford, owner of My Sky Elite, a basketball training company in Wilkes-Barre, brought the concert to the area.
“The kids I train love dancing to his song,” Ford said. “So I thought, ‘Why not have a big party with Silento for the boys and girls I train?’ I thought it could be a kid-friendly, fun event for my kids and the community to enjoy.”
The night started with help of a local DJ, Hunnter Maxwell, from Forty Fort.
“To DJ for one of the top members on iTunes is something most people dream about. To do that at 17, and while I’m still in high school, is something I’ll never forget.”
“It was a great experience as an entrepreneur and DJ,” Maxwell said.
“I saw him DJ a sweet 16 party and asked him to be part of this event,” Ford said.
Maxwell felt honored to be part of the show.
Liam Lis, a rising 14-year-old singer on the rise, with a large social media following, opened the show. Lis set the tone for the night with an energetic set, backup dancers and a performance on a hover board-like scooter.
The crowd was upbeat by the time Silento took the stage. With only one song on iTunes at the moment, his set seemed more like a personal appearance than a concert, since he danced with fans on stage to popular songs by other artists, but the crowd didn’t mind one bit. They screamed the entire time he was on stage.
When he finally performed the song he’s known for, he walked into the crowd to perform with the audience. The crowd went wild with excitement. Everyone in the crowd did his dance along with him. It was surely a sight to see. It almost looked like a flash mob.
The audience mostly consisted of kids in middle or elementary school, and parents. Anyone older than 16 would likely have felt out of place.
The show was a great night out for kids in the area, thanks to Ford, who is possibly the most liked basketball trainer at the moment.
