By Andrew Jones
“Boston’s Boy” Sam Adams is bringing his act to Fitchburg, and he expects the atmosphere to be wild.
“College kids go pretty nuts,” Adams said, “especially if they are really fans of my music.”
Fitchburg State students seem to fit that description – Adams’ show, planned for Sept. 22 at the Wallace Civic Center, has already sold out.
Adams, an up-and-coming rap star, has songs that are getting frequent airplay. His single “I Hate College” has spread like wildfire and apparently helped ticket sales for Wednesday’s show, which is presented by the Fitchburg Activities Board.
So who is this Massachusetts-based rapper? His full name is Samuel Adams Wisner, and he grew up in Boston and attended Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. He released his first album, “Boston’s Boy,” this year and is now touring across the United States.
“Every show is your chance to show everyone what you can do live,” Adams said. “My performance comes from feeding off of the crowd and how people are reacting to my music.”
While attending Trinity College, Adams became known by his peers for playing at underground shows. The shows, which drew about 50 people at the start, went on to draw crowds in the thousands.
“Once we dropped the album, people started to take notice and the shows got bigger and bigger,” Adams said.
Adams studied political science at Trinity, where he was also the captain of the school’s soccer team. While he is not currently attending college, he says he plans to finish at some point.
Since Adams has become famous, he still insists that his life hasn’t changed much.
“It’s different getting noticed at a lot of places across the country,” Adams said. “The fact that I can be on tour … for months is the biggest difference in my life.”
Joining Sam Adams on stage will be a new R&B artist, G-Curtis. He is also expecting the show in Fitchburg to be wild.
“College atmospheres can get more crazy,” G-Curtis admitted. “We just want to give the people what they want.”
G-Curtis says that his music is a mix of many different styles.
“My music is R&B,” Curtis said. “With music of today, I can take that R&B and mix it with a little pop, and a little hip-hop.”
Curtis says he grew up listening to gospel and country. He also admired Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, among many others.
In addition to being a singer, G-Curtis has done some acting, with small parts in shows including “Friday Night Lights” and “Greek.”
“Acting is on the back burner right now,” Curtis said. “Things are moving right now with touring, so I am focusing on that … but acting is definitely something I want to get back to.”
Both Sam Adams and G-Curtis are working on new projects, but they have also had the privilege of collaborating with each other. They currently have a song together titled “Still I Rise,” which is being played on the radio on the East Coast.
Both artists say they enjoy working together. “We both give each other a lot of positive ideas,” Adams said, and they’re not afraid to tell each other when something needs to be fixed. “It’s tough when you’re collaborating with someone and they don’t know how to take criticism, so having someone like G with you is ill.”
“He’s a good person, has a great personality, and comes from a great family.” G-Curtis said of Adams. “We got in the studio together and started making great music on the first day.”
G-Curtis’ debut album is coming out soon, and he hopes to get a lot of radio attention.
“I have the EP up on iTunes right now,” Curtis said. “We are working on a single right now that will be pushed to radio in the next two months.”
Adams is currently working on a mix-tape that features a few different styles of music put together.
“I’m trying to make sure it’s not just a rap album,” Adams said. “It’s definitely a new direction. A lot of people are going to be scared of it and a lot of people are going to love it. Time will tell.”