Rock in Rio: The sun comes out for Big Sean

Mother Nature saved her best for last with a gorgeous Saturday afternoon inside the City of Rock.

Plenty of early arrivals contorted their bodies inside the slivers of shade created by trash cans and speaker towers, preferring to listen to openers Mikky Ekko and Mayer Hawthorne from afar. There were nearly as many people waiting for the zip line, or checking out the dance crew Kinjaz on the Rock Streets, as there were in front of the secondary stage.

Several hundred heartier souls were camped out on the warm asphalt in front of the main stage, 90 minutes before its first occupant, rapper Big Sean. His arrival sent crowds scurrying — and, in some cases, cartwheeling — across the festival grounds as people of all shapes and sizes were just looking for any excuse to shake what the good Lord gave them.

Big Sean didn’t disappoint.

Introducing himself as the only rapper on the Rock in Rio bill — despite the best efforts of Ed Sheeran and last weekend’s Theophilus London — he and DJ Mo Beatz brought the festival the kind of bone-rattling bass line that would be the envy of every thumping beater that’s ever idled next to you at a stoplight.

He’s also certainly Rock in Rio USA’s only act with a mascot, as Rico the Lion, wearing a Red Wings hockey jersey over his costume, bounced around on stage and pantomimed making it rain.

That was as close as the sunny Saturday would come to inclement weather.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @life_onthecouch.