Rap artist Travis Scott is one of the few exceptions in a genre where many believe live shows are boring and a waste of money. Houston native Travis Scott, otherwise known as La Flame, seemingly came out of nowhere in 2012, after signing to T.I’s label and eventually to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music on a journey that seems almost mythical. Two months ago, Scott released his debut album, Rodeo, which landed #3 on the iTunes top 100 chart. Although his fame has increased over the past year, he has maintained a level of raw emotion not only in his music but also in his live shows.
This winter, Scott is joining the Weeknd on his North American tour, in addition to playing his own shows. On his stop in the Bay Area this Monday, December 7, Scott performed his well-known ‘rodeo’ show at the Warfield in San Francisco.
The show opened with guest rapper and R&B artist Bryson Tyller and his melodic hits. The sold-out crowd enjoyed Tyller’s emotional and honest lyrics and his slow-paced songs created a powerful vibe inside the venue. After his thirty minute set, it was not long until the stage was set up for Scott’ show. The stage was full of dusty props reminiscent of a classic Western film.
The ‘rodeo’ began with Scott’s hit, “Impossible” and then merged into his psychedelic tune, “90210.” After Scott demanded his energetic, sold-out crowd to “get off Snapchat and experience the rodeo,” the show really began.
In no time, the infamous mosh pits opened up as “Antidote” and “Night Call” played loud on the speakers. Out of the corner of my eye a fight broke out, but it did not stop the show. One of the most memorable moments was when a kid rushed on stage and jumped out directly above me to land in the crowd, but nobody caught him. After playing his album in full, Scott played an exclusive new track, “Wonderful.”
During the show, Scott approached one lucky fan and asked him to sing along. This fan knew the lyrics and received the exclusive Supreme ‘box logo‘ T-shirt Scott was wearing, as well as the Rodeo tour hat.
Once again, the ‘rodeo’ surpassed my expectations and proved why Travis Scott is one of the best performers in the rap scene. The self-proclaimed rockstar led a show full of energy and rage and kept it that way for one hour. His live music was very similar to those of his studio recordings with the extreme Auto-tune many people criticize him for using, but ultimately it is what creates his signature sound.
