Flo Rida Goes LOW in Gatineau

For the very first concert in its history, the Slush Puppie Centre welcomed renowned international artist Flo Rida to Gatineau. Fans knew they were in for a treat, but what unfolded was one of the most entertaining show we’ve seen in the National Capital Region in a very long time!

Before we review the show, and what a show it was, let’s talk a bit about the venue. Located on Boulevard de la Cité in the heart of Gatineau, the Centre Slush Puppie was built in 2021 and is the home of the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. With seating capacity around 5,000, it’s a beautiful state of the art arena that serves as a hub for the community. It was easy to find and parking was free, which is of course a big bonus for concert goers. The event was hosted by Lumivalli Productions whose mission is to “create magical moments, unexpected moments, packed with emotion and thrills”. I have to wonder if they knew Flo Rida would be their first event in the Centre Slush Puppie when they came up with that mission statement as it certainly fits the bill. The entire evening went off without a hitch, from the DJ’s welcoming people in to the arena, to media accreditations and security. Should out to Julie who was extremely responsive to any of our needs during the evening! It’s so refreshing to work with nice people who appreciate you. Here is DJ TDOT warming up the gathering crowd with all the fresh hits.

Before the show I did a little research on the opener, a local Hip-Hop artist called Mindlfip. He was waiting in the wings before hitting the stage and seemed to be a genuinely nice, humble young man. Best known for his rhythmic style with an old-school flow, Mindflip has been tearing up the Quebec scene and is getting attention across the country as well as internationally. Set to perform at Montreal’s Osheaga fest this year, he’s one not to miss. I had to wonder where the name came from and it didn’t take long to figure out. I missed the first flip but when I saw him ascend the stairs at the back of the stage the second time I didn’t miss my shot.

Mindflip had the crowd totally hyped up when the lights dimmed a little and roadies did what roadies do. There was palpable energy in the air as the crowd waited for the 43 year old Floridian to take the stage. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know who Flo Rida is, you’ve most certainly heard his music. His 2007 breakout single “Low” was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release. Flo Rida has sold over 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His catalog includes the international hit singles “Right Round”, “Club Can’t Handle Me”, “Good Feeling”, “Wild Ones”, “Whistle”, “I Cry”, “G.D.F.R.”, and “My House”. He’s collaborated with such legends as T-Pain, Pitbull, Kesha, Lady Gaga, Ludacris, and and David Guetta.

The theme of the night was definitely “when you come to a Flo Rida show, you’re not coming to a concert, you’re coming to a party!!” We saw lights, smoke, dancers, champagne showers, shots shared with the front row, red roses thrown at the ladies, and even fan participation in the form of an entire stage of women brought up to help him belt out Low. The most incredible thing I’ve seen in a long time is when he hopped off stage and onto the shoulders of one of his bodyguards, making his way around the arena greeting his adoring fans up close and in person. This was truly an incredible performance. I’ve been covering concerts and festivals for many years and have never seen anything quite like it.

Kudos to the organizers and we look forward to covering their next event. We hear that someone big is coming in November so stay tuned!

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