Gym Class Heroes took the stage at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA last night and put on quite a show to remember. Gracing the stage before our favorite act was New York native, Outasight. He took the stage at 7:30pm for a half hour set which consisted of about seven songs, one of which included the song, “Tonight is the Night.” You may have heard it in a Pepsi commercial recently. Outasight got the crowd pumping, especially with his number, “Losing My Mind.” Having never heard of Outasight, I was in for a surprise going in and was thrilled to find out of his singing and rapping abilities. He’s quite a talent.

Touring with Gym Class Heroes this fall is The Dirty Heads. I was also unfamiliar with this act but after hearing their set, I am definitely going to get their upcoming album. The Dirty Heads is unlike anything that I have seen and heard before. The reggae, hip hop, rock fusion of music from a band of white guys, it’s actually quite a fantastic blend. Gym Class Heroes may have been the headliner but The Dirty Heads gave them a run for their money as the crowd sang along to every song which I believe was about sixteen songs total including a unique cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” The songs were not played out in their full length, as the set ended at 9:15pm but the transitions between each number were very smooth.

I, along with the crowd particularly enjoyed “Stand Tall,” “Check the Level,” and “Shine.” Dirty J has fantastic stage presence and had the crowd going on every number. Also, the guitarist, Dustin Bushnell was going through guitars like tissues. This band really knows how to rock out… and in a positive way with positive messages (pot smoking aside, depending on how you feel about the subject). The best part about the set was actually a tradition that the band has in bringing up one of the fans to sing a line of a song that Dirty J leaves out at a previous show. A little blonde girl came onto the stage and rocked out to the entire song at hand and had the crowd going just as hard as the band did. Good times.

Finally at 9:50pm, Gym Class Heroes took the stage and started off with “Live A Little.” Things were just heating up as all eyes were on Travie when “Peace Sign/Index Down” came on next and then Travie continued to swoon us all with “The Queen And I.” But the night wouldn’t be complete without”Cupid’s Chokehold” and an acapella rendition of “Billionaire” from the audience which was beautiful.

Oh yeah, Travie did take a bill out of his pocket, crumpled it up, and throw it out into the audience. Must be nice to be able to do that. Major points there. And how could I forget one of my favorite songs, “Papercuts.” It’s even better live. As for new material, “Solo Disco Tech” was smooth but more important that night was “Martyrial Girl$” since it was the first time that Gym Class Heroes performed the new track. The most popular track of the moment, “Stereo Hearts” was saved for last as the concert came to an end at 11pm.

Travie knows how to get a crowd jumping and have a good time. The energy was kept high for every second the band was on stage. Not only that but as the entire band was immersed in the music, you could tell that all of these guys continue to have such a strong passion for what they do. In case you didn’t know, it really is about the music with these guys. They are the real deal. And that’s not all. Travie has no problem getting close to the fans.

He came down from the stage and leaned into the crowd, working both sides of the stage during the “Martyrial Girl$” number. Whether it was to distract the fans from noticing if he would mess up again (as he got caught on the first line of the song and had to start over once) or simply have a more intimate moment in an already intimate setting, it was a thrill. The whole night was unforgettable. Gym Class Heroes not only put on a phenomenal show last night, they reminded me why I love music so much. So if you get a chance to see them on tour, do not pass it up.

Click here for tour dates.

Watch Travie perform “Stereo Hearts” with Maroon 5 on Saturday Night Live November 5, 2011 at 11:30PM/10:30C on NBC.

Get the new Gym Class Heroes album, The Papercut Chronicles II on November 15, 2011.