3OH!3 Tailgate Concert Review
On September 26th, 2026, 30H!3 performed at the tailgate for the Western Michigan University Broncos football game. The event was orchestrated by WMU’s Campus Activities Board, who usually puts on a tailgate concert each year.
I am not a fan of 3OH!3. Now, I’ve never really given it a wholehearted, honest shot, but I don’t really like what I’ve heard. I think a lot of it sounds pretty tacky and dated. Even still, it’s a step in the right direction after last year, and it seemed like people were looking forward to it. So I thought it might be interesting to see what was going on, especially because I never got to experience the tailgate concert, since I was doing my radio show at the same time last year.
I got to the tailgate at about 1:20pm. It looked like a good time, but I didn’t do much apart from the concert. I just don’t really do tailgates like that, but I was able to find a Busch Light and had a good time.
The Colorado Pop Rap duo came out at 1:30pm, so it wasn’t a really long wait for me. I was a bit surprised at how immediately they made their way to the stage and just got into it. Embarrassing as it sounds, I didn’t realize who they were for the first second or two. Were it not for the cheers at the front of the crowd, I would have thought Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte were members of the tech crew or something.
These guys really are aging rockers, but that doesn’t mean they act like it. The choreography was a lot of fun and pretty goofy. Nathaniel was moving around quite a bit and felt very energetic. Sean was having a real good time too. It felt like some airhead frat type of movement from the both of them, which is obviously the appeal. I was waiting for one of them to shotgun a cheap beer on stage the way they were going.
The folks in the audience were pretty excited too. Sean and Nathaniel did a really good job of getting people up and moving. Because I was decked out in a jean jacket, dressy boots, and big ‘ol cowboy hat, I didn’t do much jumping or running to conserve my energy. I did put my hand up and sway some, but it was an honest party at the tailgate lot. A stranger next to me named Julian Walkins was jumping up and down and I felt his phone fall on my boot and at my feet. I quickly grabbed his phone and held onto it, and returned it to him when the song ended. He thanked me, then gave me a hug before he returned to the dancing. “You are a blessing in disguise, protect you at all costs,” said Walkins in an interview following the concert. I know I have a face for radio, but I didn’t know how disguised my blessings were.
They had some funny lines between songs as well. The two of them started a chant that went “When I say Broncos you say neigh,” and neigh we did. Nathaniel called out to a lady riding the mechanical bull and encouraged her to hold on for the duration of the next song. They commented on the audience’s energy level, which was high throughout. “We got here at 5:00am and we’re running on fumes right now, but you’re giving us energy,” said Sean.
A number of their quips had to do with the WMU football team later that day. “We heard about the one second fiasco, sorry dudes,” said Sean. This of course was in reference to the Broncos’ first game of the season, where the Michigan Wolverines were given an additional second to win the game. He later predicted that WMU would defeat Boise State University at the game that night. “I think you guys are gonna take this 30 to 3,” said Sean. The final score of the game was 32-7, with BSU taking the win. Nice try, Foreman.
They threw some items into the audience too, including the WMU jerseys they wore on stage. The most interesting of these items though was a room key for the hotel room they had stayed in the previous night. This hotel key ended up in the possession of 3OH!3 fan and WMU student Lune Amarandei. “well my friend caught the key card and gave it to me,” Amarandei shared in an Instagram DM. They also ended up in possession of a towel from the band’s hotel room that was thrown out. Amarandei explained this on instagram. “…i caught the towel at the same time as some girl so we did rock paper scissors for it.” The band had stated earlier that the key was dysfunctional.
The set was about what I expected from them. It was the essentials, like STARSTRUKK, RICHMAN, DONTTRUSTME, My First Kiss, and some of their other hits. When 3OH!3 Performed the latter of those songs, one concertgoer found Subway Surfers a more engaging use of his time. I guess he was waiting for Kesha's verse. (She was not present :/) My personal highlight was a vocal only performance of Smash Mouth's All Star by Sean. “I don’t know why I know that entire song but I don’t know even one of my songs,” Sean said, following a recital of the first two verses and chorus of the song.
This was a good show, I was able to enjoy myself. It was a fun throwback for CAB to go with and it felt like they prepared the whole thing well. From what I can tell and what I experienced, the event was safe and fun. It made my day better and did the same for others. That is, unless you were a hotel guest searching for their missing towel last night.
