By: Neil MacAlister
Lil Yachty, one of the most divisive figures in hip hop, is essentially heralded as the harbinger of today’s SoundCloud rap movement. His sound is innovative and boundary-pushing, mixing together Lil B’s positivity, Soulja Boy’s performative aggression, and Kanye’s indefatigable pride and self-assurance into an entirely new and influential sound. While knocking against old heads’ standards, this sound has resonated with the youth of today.
I missed tickets to Yachty’s first show in Vancouver last year, so when he announced a North American tour in support of his new Teenage Emotions album, I grabbed tickets for me and some friends immediately (at $30 apiece, it was a surprisingly affordable event). Despite a date switch, and a venue switch, from the PNE Forum to the Vogue, I managed to make it to the show just in time for Yachty to take to the stage, and was treated to one of the craziest concerts I’ve seen yet.
The concert was an all-ages show, which meant that there were chaperoned 10-year-olds alongside inebriated twenty-somethings, but the crowd’s energy was never less than exceptional. Yachty arrived onstage to massive excitement, pumping out hits like “Harley,” “Peek a Boo,” and his triple-platinum hit with Kyle, “iSpy.” Some mic difficulties kept him off the stage for about fifteen minutes early into the show (much to the chagrin of the young audience, who proceeded to yell and throw things onstage), but the DJ kept a steady rotation of Lil Pump hits playing while the technical issues were ironed out.
Once Yachty was back onstage, it was on for the rest of the night. From excellent performances of older favourites like “Minnesota” and “1 Night” to newer standouts like “Say My Name.” He even brought members of the audience onstage to sing tracks from Teenage Emotions, cheering for the one who succeeded, and dumping water on everyone who got onstage without actually knowing the lyrics. Water seemed to be a theme for the show, as towards the end, he and his team started throwing water bottles out into the audience, instructing fans to hold onto them. After spending about fifteen minutes, throwing probably a couple hundred bottles out, he announced that the whole audience was going to have a water fight. As you can probably imagine, it was an absolutely surreal experience that could’ve easily gone awry, but it ended up being one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen at a live show.
Like him or hate him, Lil Yachty certainly knows how to put on a show. Without an opening act, or much in the terms of a light show, Yachty nonetheless carried the night with a carefree energy, great performances, and enough water to sink a lil boat.
