When the lights came up on stage, Tyler was situated front and center in a fluorescent, highlighter-colored suit and a synthetic blond bob. Throughout the final set, the crowd was tight but tolerable. I managed to snake my way up to the front again, an easy task now that the audience was largely exhausted from an overhyped start. It was a long, muggy 45 minutes before Tyler came on stage. My lofty expectations for angst were finally met when Smith was handed a pair of electric hair clippers by a stagehand, in order to shave a few patches out of his hair during the opening notes of his bummer-banger track “K.”Īfter hyping Tyler repeatedly and fervently, Smith bounded off stage as the sun sank below the horizon. Moody videos of ambulances and apathetic expressions were projected against the backdrop as cool lights washed over Smith. Not popping bass kicks, but prolonged, droning hums that would have made Skrillex blush.ĭespite this overwhelming sonic intensity and Smith’s unexpected onstage aggression, the set was still undeniably real sad boy hours. Even from my more relaxed post at the back of the crowd (still incredibly dense), the bass was so loud and rumbling that I could feel it rattle my bones. The wall of sound that washed over the pit was unlike anything I have ever heard. What sort of surreal, brooding experience laid ahead of me? This was one of my most anticipated parts of the night. Not long after, Jaden Smith came on stage for the second opener. After a blessedly short performance, I made my way to the back of the floor to breathe. GoldLink sounded good, but seeing him over the raised hands and swells of bodies was an impossibility. It’s hard to say much else about the set. The children from the beginning of the set? Nowhere to be seen, but likely not having a great time. My fingers were pruned with other people’s sweat.
When all was said and done, I was battered, exhausted and sick of the human race. On one occasion, this opening allowed a particularly hyperactive man to perform a dance solo, earning him GoldLink’s shirt, tossed from the stage.
The mayhem was not the least bit helped by GoldLink’s repeated insistence that the mosh form gaps and holes so that people could rush each other. This was thousands of people all trying to get to the front row at once, with no regard for the elbowed faces and crushed lungs of those surrounding them. It is an exhilarating element of a high-energy show. Someone leans into you or gives you a hearty shove, and if you catch his or her eye, you’ll be met with a friendly smile. Each comes with its own vibe, but all tend to be good-natured. I have been in metal moshes, punk moshes, hip-hop moshes. But his music in no way warrants the kind of frenzied chaos that ensued over the course of his set. His music is exciting, diverse and well-delivered in a live setting. I didn’t have long to worry about their well-being in the already oppressive crowd before the first song came on and the pit exploded into a violent, swirling rage. It was moments before the start of his set that I heard a young voice behind me and turned to see a small cluster of children, none of which could have been a day over 10. As the space filled in with anxious spectators, the 85-degree heat turned the tight crowd into a sweltering, ungodly throng of sweat.įirst on the lineup for the night was Grammy-nominated rapper GoldLink. I got within 10 feet of the front guardrail. The crowd scurried to the stage the moment gates opened to Express’ outdoor venue. I have no doubt thousands of dollars in footwear were destroyed that night in what was the single most unpleasant mosh in which I have ever taken part. The mostly college-aged crowd was decked out in designer shoes of every shape, size and color. The second thing I noticed was the shoes. Some attendees were even wearing the trademark blond wig Tyler dons in the music video for his 2019 single “EARFQUAKE.”
Colorful cargo pants, pastel T-shirts, utility vests and floppy hats were the uniform. Stretched out as far as the eye could see, the line was heavily repping Golf Wang, Tyler’s fashion line, or some stylistic approximation. 22 to see rapper Tyler, the Creator on tour for his new album, “IGOR,” the first thing I noticed was the line.Ī group at the front claimed to have been waiting outside the gate since 8:30 a.m. Photo credit: Richard Giang | Assistant Design EditorWhen I arrived at Express Live on Sept.
Tyler The Creator performing at Express Live! on Sept.
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