Flo Rida Brings Music, Memories to Q Casino’s Back Waters Stage

You couldn't have asked for better weather, a livelier crowd, or more positive vibes over the long Memorial Day weekend, which was underscored by one of the bestselling artists taking Q Casino's Back Waters Stage on Saturday, May 28th, 2023.

After months of anticipation and hype, hip-hop hitmaker Flo Rida performed for a crowd of thousands eager to feel a rush of nostalgia and hear one or more of his songs that remain ubiquitous on both the radio and in pop culture. Ask anyone in their 20s or 30s and they can likely rattle off one of his many hits: "Low," "My House," "Right Round," etc.

Before Flo Rida took the stage, Too Hype Crew helped warm up the ecstatic crowd by playing and dancing to a bevy of '80s, '90s, and early '00s hits. The group is a familiar presence in Dubuque, having opened for Nelly on the Back Waters Stage a few years back. Their marriage of spirited hip-hop dancing and vocal stylings made for the perfect opener to Flo Rida's show.

Flo took the stage around 9:15pm and wasted no time in getting into familiar territory. His performance of "My House" led to the crowd erupting in cheers and excitement, which didn't so much as dip for even a second as he segued from "Right Round" to "Good Feeling" and "In the Ayer," all mega-hits in their own right.

"You’re not my friends, you’re my family," Flo Rida told the crowd. "What happens at Q Casino, stays at Q Casino!" a point he drove home multiple times.

Flo lived up to his promises to turn the Back Waters Stage into the Tri-States' ultimate party zone. He sprayed his entourage with champagne, poured vodka into the mouths of adoring fans, and flaunted the bedazzled liquor bottle to the crowd to assure both it and his presence was known.

You have to give Flo Rida immense credit for one thing in particular: besides his exuberant stage-presence and performing acumen, the guy loves his fans.

He instructed dozens of women to come on stage to help him perform "Where the Girls At" at one point during the show. Later, he found himself showing love to all his male fans by bringing them on the stage shortly after performing "Low," one of the biggest songs of its (or any) era.

Both Flo Rida and Too Hype Crew lived up to lofty expectations for a show that has been hyped and promoted for months. Once again, the fantastic crew at Q Casino (everyone from the event coordinators to the security staff) pulled off another phenomenal concert that was electric for all ages.

"This is not a performance. This is a party, Iowa," Flo said early into his show.

After just one song, it was hard to argue against such a statement.