I saw Lil Yachty on his Field Trip tour at the Ritz here in Raleigh on September 25. I’ve been a big fan of Lil Yachty since I first started getting into rap so I was very excited for this, and while the opening acts left some to be desired, Yachty’s performing ability and decision to play with a live band brought a great concert experience.
This tour supports the release of Yachty’s fifth studio album: “Let’s Start Here” which was released earlier this year in January. This album was a departure from the colorful hip-hop and trap bangers with the fun, yet cutting rap flows Lil Yachty was known for, taking a psychedelic, alternative approach, and making this his first album that didn’t feature rap or trap as a forefront.
If you aren’t familiar with Lil Yachty, he’s a 26 year old rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Atlanta, Georgia. He first saw the limelight in 2016 through his viral hits “One Night” and “Minnesota” which both appeared on his first mixtape “Lil Boat.” That same year he would go on to collaborate with singer DRAM on his song “Broccoli,” as well as with singer Kyle on his song “ISpy,” both of which have since gone multi-platinum. These songs were impossible to escape back then so it is very possible that you’ve heard Lil Yachty’s voice at least once before.
On this tour Lil Yachty was supported by members of his own label “Concrete Boys,” these members being: Draft Day, Dc2Trill, Karrahbooo, and Camo. All of these artists are based in Atlanta, Georgia and primarily make trap music. The North American leg of the tour was also supported by Nick Hakim, an alternative soul artist who helped with some production on “Let’s Start Here.”
The crowd at the concert was primarily composed of teenagers from what I could tell, which makes sense judging by Lil Yachty’s signature, auto-tune driven, trap sound is very popular amongst younger fans of rap and hip-hop. It’s a little weird sometimes looking around and realizing I am probably above the average age of the crowd, especially seeing as I would feel the inverse growing up going to shows in high school.
The show started with a short DJ mix that came through the house speakers (I couldn’t see the DJ if they were on stage at all). It was a very confusing experience because the house speakers that were playing the music at an ambient volume as people were arriving were turned up, and the DJ mix started, but when the first Concrete Boys member came out, the same speakers were being used, and it was a very disorienting experience, making the set harder to enjoy. It was also immediately apparent that the mixing in this first set was not very good.
All four members (that aren’t Lil Yachty) performed their own solo songs, doing 1-4 tracks each. My favorite of these was Draft Day performing a song by Lil Yachty in which he features on prominently, titled “Demon Time” and Camo performing “SWAP HER BIRK.” If I were to pick my favorite part of the set, it was the energy of the performers, as you could really tell they were having fun, even if the use of backing tracks and poor mixing threw me off sometimes.
There were attempts at crowd work, some effective, some not, and towards the end of the set, the rappers threw shirts into the crowd and assured the crowd they would be present at the merch table after the show for meeting and greeting. Also, I should mention that there wasn’t really a visual component to this set outside of the main screen displaying the word “CONCRETE” where every letter was a different font from an established design (like the use of the Internet Explorer logo for e) which I thought was pretty cool.
Next was Nick Hakim. Nick Hakim was joined by an acoustic guitarist, a bassist, and a backing track that included drums and synths. I would describe Nick Hakim’s music as indie soul and alt r&b, and it was a very mellow and soulful set. Nick Hakim is a singer and though the vocal mix on specifically his mic (not the backup vocalists) was a little blown out at times, you could tell he was a very thorough and interesting vocalist. My favorite song of theirs was “Vertigo.”
Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t seem to really care for Nick Hakim, some pockets of the crowd chanting for Lil Yachty at some points, while other people in the crowd were holding up their phone displaying a stream of the current football game or a mobile app or something to display their boredom. This was pretty upsetting to me because I think it’s important to respect the performers, but I guess I can’t expect much from people who have probably not been to that many concerts before. Visually, this set just took use of the main screen by displaying two static instances of “NICK HAKIM.” Overall a pretty cool set, I just wish the crowd enjoyed it more.
Finally, there was Lil Yachty’s set. The set began with some super cool visuals on the big screen as the band walked on the stage, and this lasted for about a minute. Then, the band began the set with my personal favorite song from “Let’s Start Here” “drive ME crazy!” complete with a female vocalist doing the first verse and chorus of the song, leading into Yachty finally coming out and singing his part of the song (the second verse and the breakdown at the end). From there I think he did a little banter and then went into some of the other more popular and colorful songs from the album like “the ride-” and “pRETTy” The live renditions of these songs blew the album versions out of the water in my opinion and I really enjoyed the visuals in this first segment.
One stand out part of this segment was the band covering “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. This came as a surprise to me and it sounded amazing.
After a few tracks with the live band, Yachty worked the crowd a bit, and then gave them what I could tell they were there for: The bangers. Yachty did a pretty wide selection of his hits, starting with songs off his most recent rap ep “Slide” in “SOLO STEPPIN CRETE BOY” and the title track. He then went back to back with his most popular solo songs like “Split/Whole Time” (a personal favorite of mine), a tribute to Juice Wrld in his song “Yacht Club” from his album “Nuthin 2 Prove” which prominently features the artist, and songs like “NBAYOUNGBOAT” and “Flex Up” which feature abrasive, high tempo production, which the crowd loved.
Yachty is a great performer both in terms of his stage presence and his vocal performance. It is common to see rappers just use backtracks with the original vocals of the song fully intact, and this wasn’t the case with any of Yachty’s rap songs in his set. He was really rapping, which takes practice and breath control. This brought a tangible air of passion and energy to this section of the set.
From there Yachty did some of his older hits, like his classic viral hit “Minnesota” and even his feature verses on the multi-platinum tracks with DRAM and Kyle.
Yachty ended this segment of the set with his current hottest track “Strike (Holster)” into a crowd focused version of the song that put him on the map from the very beginning “One Night” I should also mention that he did not shy away from performing his viral hit from last year “Poland”
From there he brought out his band once again for the last segment of the show with more songs from “Let’s Start Here” with tracks “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON” “THE zone~” and “WE SAW THE SUN” ending the set with a very climatic conclusion in “the BLACK seminole.”
Yachty’s set overall was stunning at best and pretty good at worst. There were some lulls here and there but the live band stole the show in my opinion. Some of me feels like he should’ve leaned into the use of a live band and maybe adapted some of his songs not found on “Let’s Start Here” into live versions with live instrumentation, and while that decision can have some hit-or-miss results in my opinion, I think it would’ve made a lot of sense here. Though all three segments of his set were great, it felt fragmented. I feel like it would’ve flowed a bit better if he started with the bangers and then did the entire second half of the set with the live band, but that’s just me.
Overall, I had a fun time seeing Lil Yachty at this show. That’s another one off my list of artists I grew up as a fan of that I’ve seen in concert! My fingers are still crossed in hopes of seeing Childish Gambino someday.
“Converting Vegetarians,” a track from the 2003 album of the same name, was my first taste of the band’s genre-defying psychedelic sound.
Cover for “Friends on Mushrooms” by Infected Mushroom
Music was never the same for me after.
Infected Mushroom
A duo composed of Israeli producers Amit “Duvdev” Duvdevani and Erez Eisen, Infected Mushroom has been pioneering psytrance for over twenty-five years.
Known for their groundbreaking, genre-defying mastery, Infected Mushroom has been a powerhouse since 1999.
Their discography consists of twelve studio albums, one compilation album, four extended plays and thirty singles.
“Converting Vegetarians”
Infected Mushroom’s 2003 album, “Converting Vegetarians,” laid out a full two and a half hours of pure experimental psychedelia.
With sprawls of trancelike rhythms and beats, one does not simply listen to the album, but rather allow themselves to fall into it headfirst.
Cover for “Converting Vegatarians” by Infected Mushroom
With most tracks 5 or more minutes long, each song can either stand alone or meld into a broader tapestry of musical innovation.
“Converting Vegetarians” the song sticks out to me in particular, primarily for its nostalgic appeal.
The song opens with an almost frightening industrial strain that seems to bounce off of imaginary walls before being softened by an electronic and percussive beat.
As the song progresses, there’s a very real sense of movement as sounds metamorphoze and grow with the addition of new elements.
“Vicious Delicious”
Released in 2007, “Vicious Delicious” proved to have a monumental chokehold on alternative teenagers.
The album’s arguably most-known track, “Becoming Insane,” still stands as one of Infected Mushroom’s finest works.
Cover for “Vicious Delicious” by Infected Mushroom
While a surface-level appraisal of the song may find it to be a basic electronic track, deeper inspection reveals subtle intricacies amid the trailing strings of beats.
There’s a notable Latin American influence, with smooth guitar traversing throughout the song like a slithering snake.
“Army of Mushrooms”
Infected Mushroom’s 2012 album, “Army of Mushrooms,” is another of their particularly iconic releases.
Featuring robust tracks such as “U R So F****d,” “Serve My Thirst” and “I Shine,” the album is an excellent culmination of years of innovation and experimentation by Duvdevani and Elsen.
Cover for “Army of Mushrooms” by Infected Mushroom
I also find the album to be among their most approachable, with more vocals and less overall instrumental.
The tracks also tend to pass by quicker, which can be beneficial for individuals not accustomed to thirteen-minute sprawls of electronica.
Other Recommendations
“Saeed” from “Legend of the Black Shawarma”
“Killing Time” from “Legend of the Black Shawarma”
“I’m The Supervisor” from “I’m The Supervisor”
“Guitarmass” from “Head of NASA and the 2 Amish Boys”
More North Carolina. More! Archers of Loaf is one of my personal favorite bands that have stemmed from the Raleigh-Durham area. This is a band that is compared to Pavement, Sonic-Youth, and the Replacements (all on their Spotify bio).
Archers of Loaf formed in 1991 at UNC with Eric Bachmann (guitar and vocals), Eric Johnson (guitar), Matt Gentling (bass) and Mark Price (drums). All members are from the Asheville area, so they’re all born and bred North Carolinians.
Their first studio album, “Icky Mettle” was released in 1993. It features a few of their most popular tracks, “Web in Front”, “Fat” and “Plumb Line”, and this album is great but I’ll be focused on “Vee Vee”, the Archers’ third studio album, released in 1995.
In “Vee Vee”, Archers of Loaf introduce us to their album through discordant guitar instrumental set as a pathway to backyard, grunge-y hang-out vibes. The first track, “Step into the Light” absorbs your consciousness and releases you ‘into the light’. It trickles down my spine and leaves me shivering and smiling in preparation for the rest of the album.
Second up is “Harnessed in Slums”. I mean, this whole album’s sound is a tribute by misfits and outcasts for misfits and outcasts: the musically un-inclined, the thrown away, the disowned folks that are trying to find their own way. The harsher vocals in this track make it like a punk, tailor trash theme song. If you’re feeling dejected, come and get some vengeful vibes from this track.
“Let the Loser Melt”: the lyrics, vocals and all aspects of this song combine to create a jarring scene of getting stuck, unstuck, then stuck again. I love the sensations Archers are able to pull off within this song. We don’t know where we’re gonna get halted until it happens again and again.
In their final track from “Vee Vee”, the “Underachievers March and Fight Song”, is an ode to frustration and freedom from stupid values hanging over all our heads. “Underachievers” calls all of us folks trying to get by with little friction to stand up and fight. The track might be a seven and a half minute t, but there’s a nice long four to five minute gap of silence then a chaotic clanging to finish the track and album. It does the most with very little effort, a true underachiever.
Yee Yee
I love this album. It’s my favorite from Archers of Loaf’s suite of releases because of its discordant punk and indie rock fusions. The band is a North Carolina staple in the indie rock world where I hope Wednesday and younger bands can soon (or maybe they already have) replace them as this generation’s finest from North Carolina.
If you haven’t spun this record or anything from Archers of Loaf already, definitely take some time to check them out. And, if you already love them like myself, then revisit and enjoy the wonderful sounds stemming from this wonderfully mediocre state.
Listen, I know. Every other electronic release has breaks and a Y2K aesthetic these days. I understand if you’re looking for something else. However, this is also why I need you to believe me when I say that this album is, in fact, really good.
“Girls Love Jungle” is a collaborative album between North Carolina-based artist gum.mp3 and the New York City-based Dazegxd. Over its 31 minutes, the two fuse the style of both 90’s and modern electronic to create something that’s ultimately unique.
The first three tracks best showcase this combination to me. Opener “Mania” leans more on the modern end, with the most obvious example being the prominent crash-police-siren sample that’s now irreparably linked to the very recent genre of hyperflip.
It’s then followed by “Bad 4 Us,” which has a higher focus on the smooth keyboards and vocal samples common to older jungle, but its production style is still unmistakably modern.
The last of this opening run is “Imitator,” which strips back the production to focus almost entirely on the breaks and a handful of sampled instruments, and the result feels timeless.
The rest of the album continues playing with these ideas of new and old, and eventually ends on the duo each doing a solo track. Dazegxd’s, “Don’t You See,” is probably my favorite song on “Girls Love Jungle,” which is also a statement that makes me feel like I’m abandoning my local artists. The track focuses on its main vocal sample for most of its run, then turns into complex breaks that scratch an itch I didn’t realize I had for its last third.
gum.mp3’s solo track, “Mind Reader,” takes the opposite, moodier approach. It’s much steadier, and its vocals are front and center when compared to most of the other tracks on the album. It’s an interesting way to close out the album, but I’m ultimately glad for it.
Overall, “Girls Love Jungle” is a great addition to the ever-expanding list of modern albums influenced by the past, and especially another to the list of (in this case, partially) local electronic. Both Dazegxd and gum.mp3 have a lot of potential, and I’m excited for their futures.
As we near the halfway point of the fall semester, — some of us walking, some of us lumbering like wounded animals — the necessity for distraction and/or stimulation abounds.
For me personally, the monotony of the daily grind (waking up at 7 a.m., riding the Wolfline, walking to class, rinse and repeat) compounds in a strong desire to Go To Shows.
The biggest challenge for the average show-goer (aside from a litany of counfounding variables surrounding money, transportation and our ongoing(?) public health crisis) is knowing when and where shows are happening.
As somebody who has missed several shows already this year, I’m choosing to use my platform for the public good.
This upcoming Saturday (September 30), rock bands Godcaster and Deeper are playing live at Durham’s Pinhook at 7:00 p.m.
Where will you find yourself this weekend?
Godcaster
Godcaster is an art rock sextet based in Brooklyn, New York.
As part of their ongoing “Like a Heartache in Your Head” American tour, they’ll be making a stop in Durham this Saturday.
How can one best describe the sound of Godcaster? The band has breadth, spanning a wide range of sounds and sensations across their discography.
Cover for “Long Haired Locusts” by Godcaster
Comparable to Black Midi, Godcaster delivers tracks ranging from saccharine sweetness to guttural fervor, pivoting between energies with dizzying abruptness.
While some Godcaster songs inspire visions of sprawling meadows and fawns drinking from babbling brooks, others pass by in a whirlwind of dionysian frenzy.
Deeper
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Deeper is an idyllic post-punk band sounding straight out of the garage.
My first encounter with the band came back in 2020 with their album “Auto-Pain.”
Cover for “Auto-Pain” by Deeper
Oscillating between the realms of indie rock and post-punk, “Auto-Pain” is a great place to start exploring the band’s discography.
Charmingly youthful and upbeat, Deeper’s music paints a vast mural of pleasing rhythms and beats that fill the chest like bees in a hive.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be dragging my baby brother to this gig on Saturday (so expect a concert review in these next few weeks) as part of my plan to help him speed run his “pretentious music boy” phase.
Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen.
But I’m excited for the opportunity to share this experience with him and to, for just a couple hours, fill my brain with jilting guitar instead of academic journals.
Keep an eye out for more concert previews, which I will be hopefully releasing in a more timely manner than this one.
The Connells, a North Carolina band that originated in 1984, didn’t achieve overwhelming success in the United States. Their primary fanbase came from Europe following the release of their hit single, “‘74-’75”, off their fifth studio album, “Ring” (History of the Connells).
The band is made up of Mike Ayers (guitar), David Connell (bass), brother Mike Connell (guitar and vocals), Robb Ladd (drums), Doug MacMillan (vocals) and Steve Potak (keys).
The Connells’ sound is a great blend of pop-y rock, cheesy lyrics, fun melodies and good vibes. In their album, “Ring”, released in 1993 under TVT Records, this album was their breakout album with songs like “‘74-’75” and “Slackjawed”.
Let’s get into a few of the tracks on this album. First up, “Slackjawed”, it opens the whole album with Mike Connells’ vocals and a slow, cheer-y guitar melody. The vocals are reminiscent of someone longing for a better experience in love. There’s a lot of yearning in the guitar riffs too, which adds to the catchy nature of this track. It’s a simple love ballad but The Connells do a good job of crafting a distinct sound with their vocals and lyrics.
“Doin’ You” is another of my favorites from this album. George Huntley, a guest on this album, is on the vocals for this track. It has some funky lyrics and more over-the-top cliches like “doin’ you is like doin’ time” but it’s really attractive and fun to admire.
Next up in my list of favorites is “New Boy”, which I think is the most unique lyrically on the whole album. This is another Mike Connell vocal track, so his soft voice carries us through emotions like regret and confusion. The two feelings meddle and mix with each other, creating a weird submission to invisible guilts.
NC Is Home:
The Connells started releasing more music recently in the past couple years after a long hiatus with their newest album “Steadman’s Wake”. I have yet to experience this album, but after my dive into the sounds that made The Connells who they are today, I will be checking it out very soon.
It’s great to see bands that started in this state, continue making music their way without giving into ideals that are already prevalent everywhere. The Connells could have made their music conform to usual pop-rock ideals of the 80’s and 90’s, but they kept to their sound and found their audiences through brute force and great perseverance.
