Hey now, hey now, we had a night of what dreams are truly made of. A night of partying with your friends and a Nickelodeon icon to the songs we grew up on in an iconic Jersey Shore location set the bar high for going out (at least it did for Lorelai). “The Outlook” editors, Bailey Fredericks and Lorelai Hilarczyk, dressed in sparkles, took to Asbury Park Lanes for the ultimate 2000s kid dream for Party 101 with Matt Bennett.
The show kicked off with Erin Constantine, better known as DJ Const, spinning absolute bangers. Being a New Jersey native, DJ Const knew exactly how to play to the crowd, getting everyone amped before Bennett hit the stage. From playing Taylor Swift to classic club music, DJ Const sent the crowd into overdrive; we were drenched in sweat before Bennett even reached the stage. So, here is our plea to have DJ Const at the next Porta Friday.
After an anxious wait, Matt Bennett proudly took center stage at 9 p.m on Saturday Nov. 23. This was an hour after he was set to come on. Still, we appreciate the delay, considering the line to get in was wrapped around the block up until 8:45 p.m. Bennett opened the show with the classic holiday jam, “It’s Not Christmas Without You” from “Victorious,” getting everyone into a very holly jolly mood.
After his opening number, Bennett energetically introduced himself to the crowd by stating, “I’m Robbie from the show.” We love that he didn’t specify which show, because we all obviously already knew, you had to be living under a rock or dragged to the show against your will if you didn’t.
Bennett set the tone of the night right from the get-go by playing “Beggin’ On Your Knees” and “Best Friend’s Brother” by Victoria Justice back-to-back. We’ll never get over the loud screams of the crowd chanting, “B-F-B, B-F-B/My best friend’s brother/My best friend’s brother,” at the top of their lungs.
Throughout the duration of the show, Bennett highlighted songs from just about every Nickelodeon and Disney Channel show or movie, along with songs from ex-Disney and Nickelodeon stars like Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez, and Miley Cyrus. We, along with the rest of the sold-out crowd, knew every song he played. Songs such as “Into You,” “get him back!” “Who Says,” and “7 Things.” This made us nostalgic of our childhoods, but also confused about why more bars and clubs don’t play these obviously popular songs. Who wouldn’t love that? We can confidently say we have never felt safer than being in a room full of Disney Channel and Nickelodeon fans.
After a few more tracks, the lights turned low, and the only sound was Dr. Bridgit Mendler’s haunting vocals on “Determinate” from the “Lemonade Mouth” soundtrack. This was Bailey’s absolute favorite part of the night as Bennett hopped off stage to dance with the crowd right after the beat dropped. Bennett sprinted around the dance floor, giving audience members a chance to sing their hearts out in his microphone, take pictures, and build unforgettable memories. It was a crazy experience, having someone who only existed on our childhood TV screen, standing so close, singing the lyrics of “Determinate” with us.
Aside from the iconic Disney Channel movie hits Bennett played, he took us back to prime 2000s moments, not just music but overall pop culture. Lorelai’s heart nearly dropped (in a good way) when “Baby” by Justin Bieber started to play. It was not the Bieber track, but the hilarious scene from “Diary Of Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” where Rodrick goes “full diaper.” Bennett then cut to the original music video of Bieber, and the crowd absolutely ate up the transition.
Some of our favorite moments were when we moved towards the exit and got to have our very own moment with Bennett as he pointed and sang with us at the side of the stage. We will truly never recover from singing Miley Cyrus classics, “See You Again,” “The Climb,” “Lemonade Mouth’s,” “She’s So Gone,” and “High School Musical’s,” “Gotta Go My Own Way.” Bennett is the absolute life of the party, and his energy is unmatched. Taking the time to point us out and jam with us like we were the only people in the room certainly made our century. We’ll be thinking about that one until the “Year 3000”. If you know, you know.
We’re crossing our fingers that Bennett will take the party back to New Jersey in the future. When and if he does, you can count on these two writers to be there, ready to rock on.
