This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Just as "The Dark Knight Rises" lit up movie screens across Utah at midnight screenings Thursday, the Twilight Concert Series also rises.
More than 20,000 generally teen-age concert-goers crowded into Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake City on Thursday night for the third installment of the popular summer concert series, featuring rappers Tinie Tempah and Nas.
While the new $5 admission fee has resulted in fewer than the average crowd of 33,000 at the free Twilight Concerts of 2011, Thursday's numbers nearly doubled those of the first two Twilight Concerts this summer.
"Nasty Nas in your area is about to cause mass hysteria," crowed 19-year-old Tyson Walters of Cottonwood Heights, alluding to the New York City rapper's lyrics in "Halftime" as he held his position steady in the front row minutes before Nas took the stage. "I'm 10 minutes from seeing the best rapper alive."
The upsurge in the popularity could be due in some part to the massive media blitz the 38-year-old Nas launched over the past week in support of his new album, "Life is Good," which was released Tuesday. Nas has been on "The Colbert Report," "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Night with Jay Leno," and was featured in a Tribune interview this past week.
To read the rest of the story and to see a photo gallery from the concert, go to: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/54524076-81/concert-nas-twilight-thursday.html.csp