Standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, carelessly dancing with them, clinking drinks, screaming lyrics at the top of your lungs, and smiling from ear to ear are all on the itinerary for a Trippie Redd concert.
The amphitheater was filled to the brim. With the pit packed like sardines and thousands more practically spilling over the fence in the lawn area, the 22-year-old has some of the most dedicated fans. Most of this sea was made up of teenagers and young adults, with the occasional parent sprinkled in. It’s safe to say that I have never been to a concert that had this high of a level of energy.
On Aug. 31 Redd brought his “Trip at Knight” tour to Indianapolis’ TCU Amphitheater—along with some close friends: SoFaygo and Iann Dior.
Knock knock it’s SoFaygo
SoFaygo began performing a little over 30 minutes late, and this left the crowd feeling antsy and bored, but when he eventually did come out, the crowd quickly erupted with excitement. So much so, that a random man in his late teens/early 20s wearing a green t-shirt, tan shorts, and a blue surgical mask hopped the fence to the pit. Security wasted no time chasing him down.
They eventually got ahold of him and attempted to escort him out, but, in a turn of events, he showed them his ticket and that he was actually supposed to be there. They let him go, scanned his ticket, and he went on his way. So, green shirt man, shout out to you for not only the grand entrance, but also for being the life of the party throughout the whole show by hyping up everyone around you and spreading a positive attitude.
SoFaygo opened the show with “Off the Map.”; an easy to listen to song where you can just nod your head to the beat. The crowd seemed really into this one, though it was unclear if that was a result of adrenaline since the show started or because they actually enjoyed it. Either way it was a good song choice to start his set. Next, he performed “Chrome” and “Hang with the Goats”, with “Chrome” being a faster paced song and “Hang with the Goats” showcasing his vocals and the range he possesses. The highlight of his set was when he sang “Knock Knock.” As every single person in the crowd was singing the lyrics, SoFaygo noticed and smiled from ear to ear.
Toward the end of his set, he performed a new song titled “Let’s Lose Our Minds,” from his highly anticipated debut studio album, Pink Heartz, and the crowd exploded with a whole new level of energy. SoFaygo was gracious throughout his whole set, repeatedly saying “thank you” to the crowd and expressing how much he appreciated them for even listening to his music. He did an exceptional job at getting the crowd amped-up and keeping them entertained, and his live vocals really impressed me. They sounded exactly like the studio versions of his songs, and with no hiccups once he began performing, his set started the concert off on the right foot.
Stay for a while with Iann Dior
The lights dimmed and all you could hear was someone shredding it on an electric guitar. In the blink of an eye, Iann Dior sprinted on stage, full of excitement, and decked head to toe in a black and white striped knit sweater, black skinny jeans, and —to top off his drip— a designer crossbody purse slung around his torso. He started belting the lyrics to “Good Day,” but instead of the typical happy hip-hop beat, he brought a punk sound to the song by implementing the electric guitar and drums heavily.
Things are heating up, and soon enough the sweater and purse are off with him pouring his heart and soul into an array of singles such as “Strings,” “Gone Girl,” and “Darkside.” Though, his strongest performance was “emotions.” The light show on this song was masterful, with green and red lights flashing along with some nice white accents and spotless vocals.
Dior sang “shots in the dark,” which features the main act himself, but Redd never came out for his verse. I was surprised he didn’t, because that would’ve been the perfect time to give the crowd a taste of what’s to come as the show progressed, but Dior had been doing such an excellent job thus far, no one seemed to care. During “Mood” Dior’s playful interactivity with the crowd translated well and was met with more cheers in the process. He then finished the set on a positive note by performing a fan favorite, “Prospect.”
Trippie Redd didn’t miss the rage
After Dior got off the stage, the crowd was left with the longest intermission thus far. Bracing for Redd’s arrival, the crowd started chanting the rapper's name, but this died down shortly after. As much as the crowd was trying to listen to the music being played out of the speakers to pass time, they were just ready to see their rap idol.
Someone in the pit spotted Redd above the amphitheatre in a hallway, so they started screaming and hollering his name. Everyone looked up and were met with Redd waving down at them before he disappeared a few minutes later. Fifteen minutes passed and the lights dimmed once more. A gunshot sound effect went off and just like that Redd rushed onto the stage. The crowd went ballistic. The moment that everyone had been waiting for had finally come.
Throughout Redd’s set, he got the crowd more and more interactive. When he performed “Rich MF” he had the crowd make an M with their index, middle, ring, and pinky finger. Similarly, when he performed “Danny Phantom,” he had the crowd make an X with their hands to honor XXXTENTACION. During the first mosh Redd had the pit do, a teen was bold and backflipped in the middle of it. As Redd continued to perform, the backflipping became a standard that needed to be achieved before he could sing a song. Redd interacts with his fans as if they are his friends. The iconic quote of the night was Redd saying “Energy, energy, energy, energy” to the crowd repeatedly throughout his set. This was his way of getting them lively—it was definitely effective.
He made sure to perform “Holy Smokes” and “Miss the Rage.” With him even performing “Miss the Rage” not once, but twice. Though, his strongest performance was a tie between when he performed “I Kill People!” and “Who Needs Love.” During the former, the crowd was the most lit at this point and the concert had reached its ultimate peak. Redd performed this song as if his life depended on it. Whereas the latter had a calmer feel. He performed exceptionally well even when the music cut out. His voice became the star of the show. The only downfall of his set was him continuously stopping for his 10+ smoke breaks onstage. Despite that, the crowd cheered him on, with some even joining him in doing so.
One of the best things I saw all night was the crowd’s unity. There were four men in front of me pouring their hearts out while singing the lyrics to “Betrayal,” and holding onto one another. These are the moments that live music fans have been craving for months. The genuine human interaction and connection of concerts is what makes the experience unforgettable, and this night was no different.
Sources: Spotify
Images: Arianna Sergio
Featured Image: Sugar Land
