In the first of a planned series of pop music concerts in Sanders Theatre, a sold-out crowd rocked last night to the rhythms of the Black Eyed Peas and The Roots.

The newly founded Harvard Concert Commission (HCC)--a task force of the Undergraduate Council made up of College and law school students--brought the popular hip-hop groups to campus with $5,000 of council funds and a $15,000 donation from record company executives.

The College Dean's Office matched the council's donation. The bands were paid $30,000 for the show, with the remaining $20,000 being used for sound, lighting and transportation expenses.

The event had sold out--with $20 tickets for students--within a week after they went on sale.

Last night, roughly a thousand students danced in Sanders, singing along to the Black Eyed Peas, who wildly exhorted students to temporarily forget about work and enjoy the performance.

The Black Eyed Peas, who opened the show for the better-known Roots, drew wild applause with their energetic performance, dashing back and forth across the stage and demonstrating their break-dancing skills.

"They were awesome. They put on a great show," said Noah C. Waxman '04.

When The Roots took the Sanders stage, alternating flashes of colored light filled the theater, and the group did not disappoint, playing for almost two hours.

The Roots were founded in Philadelphia in 1987 and gained widespread fame with their album Things Fall Apart, featuring the hit single "You Got Me."

The Black Eyed Peas, whose music combines soul, jazz and Latin rhythms, have just returned from performing in Japan. They are currently promoting their new album Bridging the Gap.

Before the groups took the stage, two HCC founders, Fentrice D. Driskell '01, former council president, and Sarah E. Lewis '01, urged the crowd to respect Sanders Theatre so that future concerts could be held in that venue.

HCC wrote in the concert's program that they are planning a series of concerts to bring "contemporary, popular and diverse" musical groups to Harvard.