'Furious 7' premiere concert: We are family

The crowded backstage during the ending of Furious 7 Takes Over REVOLT Live hosted two candid moments for two of the film’s stars. After Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth performed their Paul Walker ode “See You Again,” Tyrese greeted both sincerely, visibly moved at their tribute of his late friend and costar.

Moment No. 2 was more fun: Ludacris later entered the spotlight to play a medley of songs, kicking off with “All I Do Is Win.” Vin Diesel beamed from his vantage point, mouthing the lyrics and, when prompted, even threw his hands up a bit.

Before Khalifa and Puth played, Diesel went on stage, wearing a white-and-black Furious jacket—and earned the strongest applause of the night from the young, fashionable crowd, one as diverse as the cast of Furious 7. “What makes this Fast and Furious saga so special is that all the different faces that you see here, all the different nationalities find family in our saga,” the star said. “The thing that makes me the most proud of this saga is how multicultural is, because it represents all of you. All of you.” Diesel gave a reactionary thumbs-up and fist pump when watching Walker’s first action scene from 7; the crowd followed his lead.

The musical component was interspersed with brief interviews with Diesel, Tyrese, Ludacris, and series newcomer Nathalie Emmanuel, as well as exclusive film clips. DJ Damage and DJ Hannah Rad kept the crowd engaged in between breaks with T-shirt giveaways and a solid soundtrack that included the O.T. Genasis banger “CoCo” and the relentless Migos cut “Fight Night.”

Wednesday’s best live show was “Ride Out,” with Rich Homie Quan, Tyga, Wale, and YG seamlessly playing off one another. The fans went wild for the Luda medley and soaked in the Wiz anthem. Flo Rida and Sage the Gemini began the afternoon with “GDFR.” It was a solid showing, as was Sevyn Streeter’s follow-up jam “How Bad Do You Want It”: Save Flo Rida, the lesser-known artists took advantage of the medium and platform afforded to them.

REVOLT Live‘s collaboration with Universal Pictures and Atlantic Records—the label that released the film’s soundtrack—had been in the works since the beginning of 2015, REVOLT Media CEO Keith Clinkscales told EW. “This is a big movie for the audience that we go after. I mean, it’s huge; it’s the biggest thing going,” he said. “We were quite honored when they wanted to talk about a way to partner, and we told them what we do with REVOLT Live, and they were excited about it. We were just blessed to have them work with us.”

The predominantly under-40 audience was absorbed at 4 p.m. sharp, anxious to see the Furious stars and accompanying tracks. After the show, a DJ played Drake’s “Know Yourself” over the sound system. Fans leaked on stage to dance to the slow-burner, waiting for the latest Aubreyism: “I was runnin’ through the 6 with my woes!” People belted the lyric. Even if Diesel’s “fans find family here” line was a bit of a cliché, for that moment, they were united as one.