Monday, December 22, 2014

Yelawolf at Turner Hall Ballroom 12/5/14

For the second time in the past year, I saw Yelawolf in concert. This time, it was at Tuner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee.

There were two artists on the bill before Yela. The first was Big Henry, a fellow Alabama rapper, whose style was distinctly southern. His 20 minute set was high energy despite being (from the looks of it) unknown to most everyone in attendance. He proved a worthy opener for what lied ahead.

The next artist already had a big following in the crowd based on the t-shirts being worn, and the reaction when the house lights went out. Rittz was pure energy from a man who at first glance doesn't look like he has the energy to give. But looks are deceiving and he had the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole night. Rittz was joined on stage by his DJ as well as some video projections which added another element to the show. Side note, the video was projected onto a black sheet, so the black and white and darker scenes being shown were pretty hard to make out. Rittz brought the fun for the entirety of his set while also showcasing his abilities. His set was great, but that wasn't the last time we would see him.

During a slow intro, two men walked out onto the stage. First went to the DJ booth (DJ Klever) and the other went over to the rack and picked up a guitar and started playing along (Bones Owens). This was a pleasant surprise as the last time I saw Yela, only DJ Klever joined him. As the intro slowed down, Yelawolf came on stage ready to rock the house. It was clear at the beginning that Yela was here to rock with his music being played a deafeningly loud volumes and him giving free reign to Bones who played his ass off. With a song like Growing Up in the Gutter being one of his firsts, he established a level of mayhem that was going to be expected for the night. I personally was hoping to hear something from Black Fall or even his recent classic rock freestyles, but that was the only disappointment of the night. The rest of the show featured all of the hits you'd expect to hear (Daddy's Lambo, many versions of Box Chevy, Throw it Up, Let's Roll). The show closed with a performance of Til it's Gone which is potentially a major sign of good things on Yela's horizon. This song has been featured in the very popular TV show Sons of Anarchy and has less of a hard edged hip hop vibe. It's foreseeable that Yelawolf could become a household name (whether or not that's what he wants for himself).

Yelawolf is one of the best performers in hip hop and it helps that his DJ and guitarist are actually working their asses off. It's always an amazing concert whenever Yelawolf is involved. With Eminem on his side, an amazing live show, and a hoard of dedicated fans (Slumericans), keep an eye out for Yelawolf.

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