The moment Tyler, the Creator stepped onto stage at the State Farm Arena in a green suit and his signature blonde wig and sunglasses, the audience exploded into cheering. It was a fitting way to kick off a remarkably energetic and impassioned performance from one of hip-hop’s most genre-defying artists. The concert, which took place on Oct. 3, also featured GoldLink and Blood Orange as the opening acts.
Tyler Okonma, better known by his stage name Tyler, the Creator, embarked on a tour this August to promote his latest album, “Igor,” which dropped in May to critical and commercial success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the first entirely self-produced hip-hop album to do so.
Tyler opened the concert with “Igor’s Theme,” the album’s first track. Much like on the album, it was a good way to set the tone of the concert — smooth and passionate with moments of extreme vigor. He continued to draw from “Igor” for the next five tracks, performing some of the album’s biggest hits like “Earfquake,” “A Boy Is a Gun*” and “I Think.” “Igor” overall is Tyler’s most soulful album yet, which could have potentially caused him problems given that he’s a stronger rapper than singer, but he held his own even in the performance’s less intense moments.
Absent from Tyler’s set was a live band, which I would typically prefer during a live performance, but Tyler’s flair for showmanship proved that he could stand on his own. While I think a band could have added a new dynamic to the concert, much like how it did in Blood Orange’s set, the backing tracks worked well and kept the focus on Tyler. He played the piano leading into “Earfquake,” which was one of the concert’s quieter and more intimate moments, but he was smart to only do so once because repeating this break could have killed the concert’s momentum. The fact that the backing tracks were blasted through speakers covered up some of the album’s sound mixing issues, but it meant the album’s lo-fi aesthetic was lost as well.
Following “Earfquake,” Tyler performed “911” from 2017’s “Flower Boy,” the set’s first non-“Igor” song — although the track’s second half, “Mr. Lonely,” was left out. Even though the focus of the tour is on Tyler’s latest album, it was great to hear some of his older material, and the four selections from “Flower Boy” ended up being some of the night’s most impassioned performances. “Boredom” had the most memorable audience participation of the whole night, and “Who Dat Boy” featured pyrotechnics and perhaps Tyler’s most explosive display of the concert. Tyler also played two tracks each from 2011’s “Goblin” and 2013’s “Wolf,” although a lot of the audience seemed unfamiliar with these songs.
Tyler finished with album closer “Are We Still Friends?” which was a decent send-off but not one of the evening’s highlights. There was no encore, but he didn’t need one. The set ran for 19 songs, and he got through most of “Igor” as well as a fair amount of his back catalogue’s best material. Overall, Tyler successfully balanced the aggressive and intimate characteristics of his music, and he obviously put an immense amount of energy into his performance. There were several moments in between songs when he had to catch his breath, but he still managed to maintain his stamina throughout the entire hour-and-a-half long set.
GoldLink and Blood Orange proved to be capable performers as well. GoldLink is still a fairly new name in the rap game, but he showcased an impressive flow and an infecting vitality. His set was rather one-note compared to Tyler, but given the limited size of his discography, that isn’t surprising. Blood Orange, a well-established name in the world of modern R&B, gave a rousing performance with gorgeous vocals and a live band to boot. Although very different performers, the openers each embodied an element of Tyler’s style. These similarities made them an effective way to hype the audience up for the main show.
With diverse lighting and staging, eclectic dancing and a strong presence on the mic, Tyler, the Creator proved himself to be an artist worth seeing, whether or not you’re already a fan of his music.
Aidan Vick (he/him) (22C) is from North Sioux City, South Dakota, majoring in English. He is in charge of making the Wheel’s crossword and newsletter and occasionally writes for the Arts & Entertainment and Sports sections. He enjoys indie music, basketball and chai tea.
