Flo Rida joined by Flavor Flav, White Boy Rick in a different sort of Detroit Auto Show gala

A party-priming performance by Flo Rida capped the Detroit Auto Show’s Charity Preview gala Friday night at Huntington Place.

The rapper’s set was likely the wildest 1 hour and 15 minutes of entertainment in the auto show’s decades-long history, featuring hordes of fans dancing onstage, tequila shots doled out to attendees in the front row, and champagne sprayed onto an audience decked out in deluxe suits and gowns for the evening.

Honorary Detroiter Flavor Flav was a surprise guest, popping up early to perform a bit of Public Enemy’s “911 Is a Joke” and then sticking around to play hype man for the rest of the high-energy set by Flo Rida and his crew, which included a pair of sidemen rappers and two female dancers.

Flo Rida’s show was packed with the hook-heavy songs that made him a radio favorite and club staple during his prolific 2008-2015 mainstream run: The Miami native kicked things off with “In the Ayer,” part of a festive, crowd-pleasing set featuring “Low,” “Whistle,” “Wild Ones,” “Right Round,” “Good Feeling” and other hits.

At a downtown gala where Detroit Lions playoff buzz featured prominently from the ribbon-cutting ceremony onward, Flo Rida was fittingly introduced by fellow Sunshine State native and Lions safety Kerby Joseph. The newly minted All-Pro selection took the stage to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” following a video highlight reel showcasing his NFL-leading season of interceptions.

Another unbilled guest was urban hero White Boy Rick, the onetime teen drug dealer and FBI informant born Richard Wershe Jr., who hoisted a drink and captured selfie video onstage during Flo Rida’s “G.D.F.R.”

Former Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers was among the throng of female fans who took up Flo Rida’s invitation to clamber onstage for a group dance on “Low” — and she was also among those who turned to get a quick booty tap from the pop-rap star.

Flo Rida was a rare hip-hop booking for the auto show, a Detroit institution that may be looking to inject a new shot of energy while evolving into its next chapter. As Friday’s concert moved into its final minutes, Flo Rida and Flavor Flav hopped offstage and into the audience for “Good Feeling,” pausing for selfies and fist-bumps with fans, before wrapping up the festivities with a high-spirited “What a Night.”

For some attendees, the upbeat vibes didn’t last long: Out in the Huntington Place lobby, they faced a congested, hours-long scene at the coat check tables, where police officers stepped in to manage what became an increasingly frustrated crowd waiting to head out into a snowy night.

The Detroit Auto Show will open to the public Saturday and run through Jan. 20 at the Huntington Place convention center in downtown Detroit. Tickets are $10-$20. More details here.

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.