Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator lived up to his name at Valley View Casino Center.
Inside the concrete behemoth, hip young people, some with equally-hip parents in tow, filled the entire arena with their eager energy.
Taco opened up the night with a DJ set that hit all the right notes. Standing behind the large light set-up to be used for Vince Staples, Taco was a king above his people. Perched from his tower, Taco was aware of the semi-controlled madness below, where smaller fans were slowly being swallowed by taller, older fans. Twice Taco stopped his set to help call out those who tried to escape from the pit to the safe seats.
Next up, Vince Staples took the stage. Staples utilized a simple yet dazzling light display to draw the focus toward the actual music being performed, taking emphasis off the artist himself. The crowd roared and swayed and jumped on cue with Staples, building on the energy carried over from Taco.
Then came Tyler. Living up to his name, Vince Staples’ light display was taken away to reveal a gorgeous forest setting, with colors reminiscent of his most recent album, the Grammy-nominated Flower Boy, which dropped in 2017. Large towering trees, rolling hills, a vivid backdrop, and a large, walkable “fallen tree” composed the stunning visual display.
An multi-faced entertainer and entrepreneur, Tyler has produced multiple television shows, dropped clothing collaborations (including his most recent Golf Le Fleur collab with Converse), dropped a critically-acclaimed album, and put on Camp Flog Gnaw. And the was just the last 12 months.
Tyler’s energy was infectious from beginning to end. Through “Who Dat Boy” to “YONKERS,” Tyler both figuratively and literally never missed a beat. To see such talent and passion live is such a rare wonder, and it’s certainly found in Tyler, the Creator. Tyler gave a compelling and mesmerizing musical and visual performance that will raise the bar for future performers. He ended his set with an energetic repeat of “Who Dat Boy.”
If you can, do anything you can catch his LA show at Shrine Expo Hall on April 11th (tickets on sale now) before it’s sold out, or catch his “In Conversation with Tyler the Creator” discussion at UCSB on March 9th, tickets on sale here.