There is something especially fulfilling to see an artist you have loved and supported since they were a teenager usher themselves into a new world of maturity and artistic output. At least, that is the overwhelming feeling Tyler, the Creator bestowed on the audience at Agannis Arena with what proved to have all the energy you’d expect from the Odd Future spearhead, but injected with new vision, execution, and staging.
With support from GoldLink and Jaden Smith – who both did more than their fair share of hyping up a crowd of now 20-something O.G. O.F. fans mixed with plenty of teenage/college attendees (a demographic that will always find appeal in Tyler’s twisted, angsty, soul-searching catalogue) – you’d be forgiven if you forgot this was a Tuesday night given how enthusiastically the crowd danced and moshed.
Both openers were thrilling performers in their own right and will undoubtedly be able to pull crowds of this size and dedication in due time. Smith especially has an enigmatic stage presence, not to mention a catalogue of really strong music after the release of his second album, Erys, earlier this year.
The biggest shortcoming of Tyler, the Creator’s early career was unquestionably his tendency to revert to immature, homophobic slurs and language. Fans and fellow artists who called him out for this at the time were right to do so. When Tyler came out as gay on 2017’s Flower Boy, it marked single most important advancement of his career as an artist and his burgeoning maturity as a human being. To accept that about oneself, to look at oneself with that honesty and then reflect that honesty back out into the world, requires a willingness to grow and come to terms with one’s own intrinsic fears and prejudices.
While Tyler is far from apologetic about his past homophobia – and while coming out certainly doesn’t absolve him of that history – what coming out has done is freed him creatively. Though new album IGOR doesn’t necessarily possess the same personal and social development as its predecessor, it might be Tyler’s tightest, most complete selection of music to date. His rapping has always been adept, his production groundbreaking and diligent, and his vibe completely unique; now, in his post-Flower Boy career, he’s synthesized all those talents, while pushing full steam ahead to master his abilities as a visionary songwriter. The tracks of IGOR ebb and flow from one to the other, and Tyler delivers a beautiful, emotive, conceptual album that makes for a great front-to-back listen.
It’s not just his studio work that is reaping the benefits of his maturity; Tyler’s live performance has pushed ahead by leaps and bounds. Whether with Odd Future or solo, he’s always had a handful or two of fellow performers onstage with him. For the IGOR tour, Tyler’s standing alone onstage, fully confident in his own energy and ability to absolutely ignite an audience of devotees. Dressed in the blue suit and blonde wig that have become synonymous with IGOR’s imagery, Tyler had a full stage to play with, gleefully and wildly dancing, twirling, and thrashing away, showing everyone in the audience how to do it.
He blasted through a selection of mostly recent songs: he touched on everything from the new album, which already sounds so well accustomed to the live setting; he added a generous sampling of tracks from Flower Boy, too, including the irrefutable banger “Who Dat Boy,” although the track did lack a little bit of its energy due to the absence of A$AP Rocky, whose verse was played as a prerecorded track. There were also a few throwbacks for which he dug deeper into his back catalogue. In case you were wondering, yes, everyone does still know the words to “Yonkers.”
The newfound expressive freedom of this set even afforded time to more intimate moments that you’d think unimaginable at a 2011 Odd Future show. Most notable of these moments was when the curtain Tyler performed in front of lifted to reveal an all-white grand piano. Tyler’s clearly been brushing up on his piano skills, because he played the dreamy piano intro to IGOR’s “EARFQUAKE” while the entire audience sang the hook.
If you thought the dissolution of Odd Future meant that you’d start to hear less and less of Tyler, the Creator, think again. This is an artist just coming into his full power, vision, and impact. He’s here to stay, and we can’t wait to see him again. Check out our photo gallery from the show below.
