Minutes ago, producer-songwriter duo THEY. stepped off stage for a sold out crowd in Milwaukee, WI. Performing at The Rave, in support of R&B rising superstar Bryson Tiller’s T R A P S O U L tour, THEY. performed some new music as well as their 2015 EP, Nü Religion, which was well received by many and got some major co-signs from Zane Lowe and Ebro from Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning”. The emerging duo, which consists of Dante and Drew, is not only one of the most exciting R&B acts to watch this year, but they are certainly picking up a ton of new fans while on the road with Tiller.
THEY. has a sound that certainly plays well for the T R A P S O U L tour crowd, and whether it’s natural or learned throughout their previous tour stops, Dante and Drew already have found comfort on the big stage. It’s one thing to produce their addictive records, which have gathered millions of streams on SoundCloud, it’s another thing to perform those same tracks live for a sold-out audience, city-after-city. Tiller has already taken advantage of the voids in the left in the R&B world left by Frank Ocean, and there is more than enough room for THEY. to sit at the table as well. Expect THEY. to continue to make a name for themselves throughout the rest of the tour and soon after it concludes.
Check out our photos from THEY.’s opening performance tonight below, and be sure to check out the remaining dates for Tiller and THEY.’s current tour here.
Chicago is bar none one of the best cities for live music, not only in the U.S. but in the world. Whether you are seeing an intimate performance at the Concord Music Hall, a packed show at some of the city’s most historic venues like the Chicago Theatre or the Aragon Ballroom, one of the cities awesome music festivals, or even a huge production at the United Center, Chicago has something for everyone.
And right now, even in the middle of winter, it’s a great time to catch a show in the Windy City. This month alone fans can check out some performances by rapper GoldLink, R&B’s super emerging artist Bryson Tiller, the talented Carly Rae Jepsen, American soul singer Leon Bridges and many more.
Bryson Tiller @ House of Blues (3/4)
In just a few days Bryson Tiller is bring his T R A P S O U L Tour to Chicago’s House of Blues. With a scheduled opening performance from They., which will surely set the tone for the rest of the night, there is not a better place to be this Friday than Chicago’s Marina City. Unfortunately if you haven’t got your tickets yet, you may be out of luck, as tickets are all sold-out. But for those lucky enough to get tickets on time, you are surely on track to start off this upcoming weekend on a high note.
Carly Rae Jepsen @ The Metro (3/12)
Courtesy of The Huffington Post
Don’t necessarily expect her to perform her Full House theme cover that picked up a lot of buzz on the internet, but you can certainly expect Carly Rae Jepsen to put on a great show at The Metro in Chicago next week. The ‘Call Me Maybe’ singer and Canada native put out one of the best albums last year, with her latest LP Emotion, and if her live shows are half as good as her new album, then fans will definitely get their money’s worth March 12th. Tickets for this one are all sold-out, so if you missed out, definitely be sure to get your tickets on time when Carly Rae comes back to the Windy City.
GoldLink @ The Chop Shop & 1st Ward (3/9)
Photo by Dan Garcia/The Early Registration
GoldLink is easily one of the most exciting rappers to watch in 2016. Last year he introduced himself to many, while opening for Mac Miller on his GO:OD AM Tour. So after picking up a bunch of new fans in 2015, 2016 is definitely the year of GoldLink. He has a huge co-sign from Rick Rubin, his lyrics are more than impressive, and anyone who has seen him live will tell you that he puts on a great show. Tickets for this one are a steal, only $16, so get them now before they are all gone.
Fall Out Boy @ The United Center (3/12)
Fall Out Boy is expected to put on one hell of show next week at the United Center. Accompanied by AWOLNATION and Pvris, expect Pete Wentz and company to blow the roof off at the house that Michael Jordan built. Chicago definitely shows love for Fall Out Boy so tickets have been gone for quite some time, but if you’re one of the many thousands to be in attendance next week, be prepared to have a night that you won’t soon forget.
Leon Bridges @ The Chicago Theatre (3/11)
Courtesy of LeonBridges.com
Leon Bridges had an amazing 2015 and it seems like he has been on tour ever since we first heard his name. His debut album Coming Home was by far one of the best projects of last year, it landed Bridges his first (of many to come) Grammy nomination, his live performances are critically acclaimed, and you can see all the above for yourself at the history Chicago Theatre on March 11th. Tickets for this one as well, have long been sold out, so if you already have your tickets, get ready for a great show.
Charlie Puth & Phoebe Ryan @ Park West (3/22)
Photo by Dan Garcia/The Early Registration
Charlie Puth probably had the best year imaginable in 2015. His Wiz Khalifa-assisted smash hit ‘See You Again’ was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, song of 2015, and most importantly it introduced Charlie Puth to the world and showcased his amazing song-writing skills. His new single ‘One Call Away’ is getting a lot of traction on pop radio, and you can see the talented singer-songwriter perform at Lincoln Park’s Park West on March 22nd with the equally talented Phoebe Ryan. Expect Puth to perform a number of tracks from his 2016 debut album, Nine Track Mind, and Ryan to perform a number of her fan favorites, including her new single ‘Chronic’. Tickets are all sold out, so if you didn’t get yours in time, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep a close eye on Puth, as he is easily one of the most exciting pop artists to watch this year.
Hermitude @ The Chop Shop & 1st Ward (3/10)
Following their sold-out headlining tour last fall, Australian hip-hop duo Hermitude are returning to the Windy City for a headlining show at The Chop Shop & 1st Ward. On March 10th fans are sure to hear a number of cuts from the duo’s latest LP, Dark Night Sweet Light, which was well received by many. The album featured the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Chuck Inglish, Estelle, Pell and more. And even if you can’t make it to the Chop Shop this month, be sure to make the trip down to Manchester, TN to see the guys perform at Bonnaroo this year! Get your tickets for Hermitude’s forthcoming Chicago show before they are all sold out, here.
Just minutes ago People Keep Talking rapper, Hoodie Allen, said his goodbyes to the Windy City after a memorable performance at The Riviera Theatre. Bringing his Happy Camper Tour to Chicago, IL tonight, fans in attendance saw a great opening performance from ‘Keep It Real’ rapper Kyle and an energic headlining set from Hoodie himself. Touring in support of his new LP,similarly titled Happy Camper, which released just last month and features both Kyle and Blackbear (who was not able to perform tonight), Hoodie has gathered quite the fan base due to his music’s broad appeal that transfers over to his live performances.
Up first for the night was Ventura native Kyle. Kyle’s set was full of crowd surfing (and we mean that in the most literal way possible), a lightsaber fight, a Pikachu cameo and wild energetic performances from some of his best songs from his latest album, Smyle, and his 2013 project, Beautiful Loser. There is nothing quite like a Kyle show, and with his DJ and right-hand-man SuperDuperBrick helping hype up the crowd, Kyle always delivers.
It was not long after Kyle’s set before it was time for Hoodie Allen to step on stage. The University of Pennsylvania graduate who worked at Google before quitting his job to pursue music, Hoodie Allen is smarter than your average rapper, and certainly smart enough to know that you may attain fans by making great music but you keep those same fans by putting on great performances. Not a moment went by where the energy levels were low, and the Chicago crowd sang along with Hoodie song-after-song. Highlights of his set included his memorable performances of ‘No Faith In Brooklyn’, ‘All About It’ and ‘Champagne and Pools’. Despite performing for a big theatre, Hoodie puts on an intimate performance that is still full of production value. As the confetti fell from the ceiling near the end of the night, The Rivieria Theatre had seen one of it’s best performances in quite sometime.
Check out our photos from tonight’s show below and see if Hoodie & friends are coming to a city near you on one of their remaining 18 stops on the Happy Camper Tour.
Minutes ago rapper Logic stepped off stage in Wisconsin, as he brought The Incredible World Tour to a crowd of 4,000+ The Rave in Milwaukee, WI. Performing for a sold out Wisconsin crowd, Logic was accompanied by rapper Dizzy Wright and his in-house DJ, the talented DJ Rhetoric, who also joined Logic on his 2015 tour. From start to finish, Funk Volume‘s standout MC Dizzy Wright and the man of the night, Logic, both killed it in their own regards. A collection of Logic’s best songs, killer mixes from Rhetoric, 4,000 people dabbing at once, there was not a dull moment in the evening, and while The Incredible World Tour (similarly titled to Logic’s latest LP, The Incredible True Story) may not be the most incredible live performance you will ever see in your life, tonight’s show proves that Logic is more than just a talent lyricist with amazing beat selection, rather he is also one of the best live performers in rap music today.
Check out our photos (more to come soon) from Logic’s Milwaukee stop on The Incredible World Tour below and be sure to get your tickets to a tour stop near you.
Last night Dirt Nasty and Mickey Avalon brought their Married To The Game tour to The Rave in Milwaukee, WI. Performing for an intimate crowd of a few hundred, there was not a better place to be on a random Thursday night. From the very beginning, Dirt Nasty made sure that his Wisconsin fans would get a unique show that they would not soon forget. Opening with with some of his fan favorites, bringing up a number of girls on stage, Dirt Nasty had a conversation with the crowd throughout the night. His set was full of laughs, twerking, a “white girl who looks like she could be Mexican mostly because she has dark hair”, repping of a “Drink Wisconsinbly” t-shirt and an awesome closing performance of ‘1980’. Before Lil Dicky, you had Dirt Nasty, and last night he proved that there is no one who mixes comedy and rap quite like Simon Rex.
Soon to follow was rapper Mickey Avalon. While Avalon certainly did not bring as many laughs to the table as Dirt, he put on a great set in his own right. Avalon mixed the new and the old throughout his set, and instead of recruiting local talent for his backup dancers like Dirt Nasty, he had a dancer of his own who probably had close to 10 costume changes throughout the night. It wasn’t anything major, but it was good to see some extra production value brought to the show.
The highlight of the night though came as Avalon invited Dirt Nasty back to the stage to perform some of their best collaborations. From some of their new records from their similarly titled Married To The Game project, like ‘Top Down’ and ‘Do It All Over’, to their classics like ‘What Do You Say’, the two played off each other well, making the night end on the highest possible note. As the two closed the night with an awesome performance of ‘My Dick’, complemented by about 20 backup dancers from the crowd, Milwaukee was certainly the place to be last night.
Check out our photos from last nights show below and see if Dirt and Mickey are coming to a city near you.
Last weekend we caught the Madison, WI date of Fetty Wap and Post Malone’s Monster Energy Outbreak Tour. From the opening performances to Fetty Wap’s headlining set, the night was energy packed and left Madison with a show that they will not soon forget. A couple days ago we posted our photos from the concert, and today we have some video footage to help you relive the night!
Check out our video recap from Fetty Wap and Post Malone’s Madison stop on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour below.
Tonight marked the fourth stop on Future’s Purple Reign Tour, performing for a sold out Indianapolis crowd. First up for the night was Ty Dolla $ign, playing a number of tracks from his debut album Free TC. From the start, the crowd was singing in harmony with Ty Dolla. Ty Dolla’s set was full of energy, crowd surfing to sharing his own recreations with the fans. The Wiz Khalifa-affiliated artist finished his set with a preview of a song seen later in the show, ‘Blase’. Needless to say, Ty Dolla $ign started the Purple Reign show off with plenty of energy.
The crowd in Indy was primed for a great show from Future Hendrix. Future delivered above and beyond the cost of admission for the sell out crowd – which is understandable, considering Future has three number one albums within one year. Future reeled off hit after hit – including some earlier tracks such as ‘Same Damn Time,’ and ‘Jumpman’ from What A Time to Be Alive. Future brought Ty Dolla back for an encore performance of ‘Blase’ which absolutely ignited the crowd. Heaviest play came from critically acclaimed DS2 and Purple Reign which was just released weeks ago. The highlight of the show, in my opinion, had to be ‘March Madness’ a track that has only continued to gain momentum. (The title of the track resonated especially well with the IU Hoosier crowd). In addition the music, the stage lighting of the show was in complete harmony with Future’s themed Dirty Sprite 2/Purple Reign.
Check out more of our photos from Future’s highly anticipated Purple Reign Tour below, and if you haven’t got your tickets and your city isn’t sold out, get tickets for Future’s remaining dates at Freebandz.com.
Photo by Dan Garcia/The Early RegistrationLast night Fetty Wap, Monty and Post Malone brought the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour to Madison, WI. Selling out the historic Orpheum Theatre, located just seconds away from the University of Wisconsin campus, the college crowd got wild for Fetty Wap and company. The night began as a number of emerging artists from Fetty Wap’s team hit the stage, introducing themselves to fans. With everything from singers to rappers to dancers, Fetty Wap’s crew of artists are much more diverse than you’d ever expect.
Next up for the night was rapper/singer Post Malone. Opening with his huge hit track ‘White Iverson’, the Republic Records artist continued his set with his bigger songs from his growing catalogue. Fans are currently awaiting Post Malone’s debut album, but that didn’t stop Madison from getting hype during Post’s performances of ‘Too Young’, ‘TEAR$’ and more. And how do you close your performance when you’re one of the hottest emerging names in rap but with only so many songs to perform? You get the crowd hype again for a second and closing performance of ‘White Iverson’, and surely no one was mad at it.
Finally it was time for the man of the night, Mr. 1738 himself, New Jersey’s best thing since Bruce Springsteen and Lauryn Hill, rapper/singer Fetty Wap. And from the screams of the crowd when Fetty hit the stage, you would not have guessed that just about a year ago Fetty was an artist struggling to get his music out. But last night, in Madison, WI, Fetty Wap might as well have been the biggest name in music because it sure felt like it. The crowd sang every word, from ‘Trap Queen’ to ‘My Way’ to Fetty’s B-Side cuts. And energy was at an all-time high when Fetty brought out his right-hand man, Monty. Fetty’s longtime friend and frequent collaborator is featured on a total of 7 tracks from Fetty Wap’s self-titled debut, so Monty was definitely more than your average hype man. The two rocked the stage all night, giving MadTown a night that they will never forget!
Check out our photos from last night’s show below and make sure get your tickets to a tour stop near you at TicketMaster.com.
Right now, Future is on stage for a sold-out Orpheum Theatre, kicking off The Purple Reign Tour in Madison, Wisconsin. And while usually there are plenty of places you’d rather be in February than the frigid Midwest, there was (and is) no better place to be tonight than Future’s tour opener with Ty Dolla $ign, less than a mile west of the always crazy University of Wisconsin campus. Only half-way through the show tonight, you can already tell that the Badger crowd came to party. So the rest of the tour stops (I’m looking at you, Chicago) better be ready to match the energy of tonight’s crowd and the Epic Records’ premiere artist.
Tonight kicked off to a great start with a memorable opening performance from Free TC rapper/singer, Ty Dolla $ign. The Kanye West-affiliated rapper, who played a big role on Ye’s latest LP The Life of Pablo, rapped a number of tracks off his critically acclaimed debut album, which released just last year. Free TC ended up on many year end lists in 2015, and featured appearances from Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and R. Kelly, just to name a few. Rightfully so, a highlight of Ty’s set tonight came as he performed his Future-assisted single, ‘Blasé’, which also features ‘No Type’ rappers, Rae Sremmurd. Although Future stayed backstage, preparing for his set, and Rae Sremmurd stayed back in Atlanta, Ty Dolla $ign needed no help getting the Wisconsin crowd hyped for the track. An exciting emerging act who is worth the price of admission alone, Ty Dolla $ign surely delivered for the tour’s opener.
With a brief intermission following Ty Dolla $ign performance as crew prepared for the man of the hour, it was soon time for the DS2 rapper to hit the stage. Future’s set began as his DJ, DJ Esco, played a couple Future records to amp up the crowd and build Madison’s anticipation. Singing along word-by-word, the sold-out crowd was not only enjoying Esco’s cuts, but were also anxious and excited for Future to take stage. And it wasn’t long before Madison could see their Future right before their eyes, as he came out, rapping to his hit track ‘I Thought It Was a Drough’. Next, opening The Purple Reign Tour with other fan favorites like ‘Move That Dope’ and ‘Same Damn Time’, any irrational worries about imperfect setlists were soon put to rest. Even with many songs left to go tonight, Future’s setlist for this tour will not disappoint fans, diehards and late-to-the-party fans alike.
Check out more of our exclusive first photos from Future’s highly anticipated Purple Reign Tour below, and if you haven’t got your tickets and your city isn’t sold out, get tickets for Future’s remaining dates at Freebandz.com.
Last weekend we caught the last date of An Evening with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. With an entertaining opening performance from rapper XP (Xperience), the night couldn’t have got off to a better start. So when it was time for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis to hit the stage, energy levels were at an all-time high, and Macklemore and company truly delivered. Saturday we posted some of our favorite photos from the show, and today we have our video recap of the awesome performance, shot by our photographer Dan Garcia.
Check out our video recap from the last stop of An Evening with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis below.
The Early Registration 