Nelly performed on the farm, E.I. E.I. Uh-Ohhhhhhhh!

Despite the cold winds whipping through DeKalb Wednesday night, Nelly managed to keep the Convocation Center hot and hopping as he rolled onto the NIU campus for the second time in four years.

With non-stop dance moves and blistering rhymes, Nelly and the St. Lunatics made the Convocation Center their home for an hour and a half.

Donning nothing but a white T-shirt, black pants and plenty of bling, Nelly, sans band-aid, entertained the crowd members and asked them to simply shake their tail feathers.

The staging setup encompassed a staircase leading down from a large platform atop the stage, while a “Derrty Ent” logo glowed in the background. A deejay sat to the left of the stage and kept the music spinning while two screens hung on each side of the stage so every fan could get a clear shot of the action.

Fanatical concert-goers wore homemade apparel ranging from “I love Nelly” T-shirts to dresses with Nelly’s outline covered in glitter.

“It makes a bigger impression when you’re all dressed the same,” said 17 year-old DeKalb High School student Jill Corneille.

Corneille and her nine friends dressed up in matching white tank tops, blue jeans and white and pink hats with the initial of their first name embroidered on the front.

Nelly opened the show right at 9 p.m. with “Heart of a Champion” as he slowly made his way down the stairs to the stage amongst a flurry of smoke.

Nelly then dropped into “Air Force Ones” and the St. Lunatics joined him on the stage for the remainder of the show.

The six-member group played to all sides of the arena, each dancing and reaching out to fans in the front row and pumping up the crowd the best they could.

The show included audience interaction ranging from call and response of lyrics to having the audience hold “ohs” and “ahs.”

Although fans bopped their heads and tapped their feet to every song, they responded best to the radio hits.

“It’s a good crowd and a good mix of people,” said Kevin Selover, marketing manager for the Convocation Center.

While the show was aimed mainly at college students, the younger crowd showed up as well. High schoolers and even grade school kids with their parents filled the seats on the lower level and floor while the upper level remained completely empty.

Selover said he was unable to give a rough estimate of tickets sold for the show.

Nelly thanked the crowd at the end of his set, saying, “I get a lot of criticism for the things I do, but it’s cool.”

Nelly then performed “Over and Over,” his duet with Tim McGraw, but seeing as the country singer was absent, the crowd took Tim’s place, reciting every line of the song.

Opening acts included Murphy Lee, Ali and Kyjuan as well as several others who kept the crowd on their feet for over an hour while heavy bass vibrated every seat.