Vance Joy // Mala Luna // Tory Lanez // Billie Eilish // Daniel Cezar // Walk The Moon // SXSW// JMBLYA // Madison Beer // Hate Drugs // & More....
ISSUE
TWENTY- ONE
WHO WE ARE
Owner - Danielle Ellis Head Editor - Daniel Zewde Creative Director - Betsy Schuller Senior Photographer - Stephanie Tacy Photographer- Cristobal Arellano Photographer - Jessica Padover Photographer - Kimani Graham Photographer - Jake Tovar Photographer - Jr Gonzalez Reporter - Gabealla Jasso Contributor- Kris Lori Contributor- Chris Maldonado Original Magazine Design - Traci Schubert Magazine ReDesign - Kelly Davenport
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STAFF MUSIC PICKS
High - Sir Sly How Did It Get So Dark? - Royal Blood Pink Lemonade - James Bay Sorry - Nothing But Thieves Napkins - Riz La Vie Sit Next to Me - Foster The People Lost in Japan - Shawn Mendes Done For Me (Feat. Kehlani) - Charlie Puth One Foot - Walk The Moon All The Stars (with SZA) - Kendrick Lamar My Boy - Billie Eilish Technology - DON BROCO First World Problemz - Brent Faiyaz Alright - Loyals
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IN THIS ISSUE who We Are................................................ 2 Staff Music Picks....................................... 3 Mala Luna.................................................. 6 Kirk rockmore.......................................... 8 Tory lanez................................................. 9 billie eilish............................................... 10 daniel cezar............................................ 11 hate drugs............................................... 12 culture II review..................................... 13 walk the moon........................................ 14 vista kicks................................................ 16 dutch masters . ...................................... 17 pandora house....................................... 18 g-eazy the beautiful and damned......... 19 fader fort............................................... 20 vance joy................................................. 22 heavy is the drug.................................... 23 jmblya...................................................... 24 madison beer........................................... 25
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Every year the Ellis Music Magazine team takes some time to reflect on our previous issues. This year, Danielle, Owner and founder of Ellis Music Magazine, decided that it is in the team’s best interest for Ellis Music Magazine to publish issues quarterly. This will provide the highest quality product regarding layout and design. Most of the staffers are either entering college, in college, or just graduating college. Due to this, the publication does not have the necessary time in order to produce full, proper issues every other month. Therefore, to make it fair to everyone, issues will be produced quarterly for the foreseeable future, with print copies to be made more accessible. We hope you understand and continue to support us from here on out.
Cover & pages 4+5 photographed by Danielle Ellis
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FESTIVAL REVIEW
MALA LUNA PHOTOGRAPHY AND WRITING BY: STEPHANIE TACY
hits “Tyrant” and “Know What I Want.” Playboi Carti kept the momentum going as he jumped around stage before making his way into the photo pit to greet fans. Later in the night Wiz Khalifa took to the stage smoking from a RAW Level 5 Joint Holder performing “Bake Shop” followed by other hits from his career such as “Roll Up,” “Black and Yellow,” “23,” and more. Saturday night ended with a performance by hip-hop legend, Lil Wayne who walked out performing “Mr. Carter.” He dished out an array of his music both old and new over his hour long set including “6’7’”, “John,” “Lollipop,” “Mrs.Officer,” and “Love Me.” Sunday paid homage to Texas artists as 7 of the 11 artists were from Texas including names like Xavier Omar, Maxo Kream, Trae tha Truth, and Khalid. The other 4 artists featured dj Borgore and chart-topping artists Migos and Future. The top performances came from Trae tha Truth, Khalid, Migos, and Future. Trae performed before heading to Houston for the Astros World Series game. He brought out Maxo Kream and King Kyle Lee to perform with him during his set featuring some of his greatest hits including
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housands gathered at Nelson Wolff Stadium in San Antonio, TX for a chilly weekend with a lineup any hip-hop head would hate to miss. Each day started by highlighting local artists such as Intre, Bamsworth Belli, Lil Yodaa, and Xavier Omar before progressing to newer artist on the scene such as Khalid (Pictured above), Kali Uchis (Pictured right), Playboi Carti, Ugly God, and more. The lineup however did not stop there. Each night ended with sets from nationally esteemed artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Migos, Future, and hip-hop legend Lil Wayne.
Saturday’s top performances included hip-hop newbie Kurt Rockmore, Dreamville’s J.I.D, Kali Uchis, Playboi Carti, Wiz Khalifa, and hip-hop legend Lil Wayne. Kurt Rockmore out of New York brought high energy to the stage early during his 2:15 pm set where he jumped and danced around stage before plunging into the crowd for a little crowd surfing. Kali Uchis graced the stage with a show stopping performance as she danced and sang her
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“Swang.” Later in the day, with thousands of screaming fans ready with phones held high, Khalid took to the stage bringing an improved energy and confidence from the last performance I saw during this past SXSW. Backed by a band and two backup dancers, Khalid sang some of his top songs including, “Saved,” “American Teen,” and, of course, “Location.” The night ended with memorable sets from Migos and Future. Migos performed their album Culture almost in its entirety but made sure to highlight other hits from their career including “Fight Night” and “Hannah Montana.” Future ended the night with his troupe of male dancer.
it was definitely one for the books.
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INTERVIEW
KIRK ROCKMORE
written and photographed by: stephanie tacy
Did you grow up with music or find it later?
Do you prefer making or performing music?
I found it later, just listening to my big sister who brought Lauryn Hill into the house and that’s how I fell in love with music.
My current producer is like “I see you trying to balance being a great performer and an amazing artist, you gotta choose one.” but I’m like why can’t I do both.
How do your roots influence your music? Well, My parents are Haitian. They were born in Haiti and then immigrated to America when they were young. My father listens to Haitian music every freakin’ Sunday I mean like blasting that in my Mom’s house. I try my best when I’m not on tour I try to go there. I like live drums and things like that so I guess that influences how I make music, using live drums layered with the regular 808s and snares and things like that.
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What inspires you to keep creating? My brain like really if I wasn’t creating I would spontaneously combust.
out of all the shows you’ve done & places you’ve been, What was your most memorable performance? I’m from Long Island, New York I performed at Irving Plaza. I was on tour with G-Eazy and a friend of mine came out during my set. I was the opener on that tour and everybody on that tour came out
Describe your style in one word. Amazing.
during my set and was squirting champagne and it wasn’t even the main part of the show. I will remember that forever because I was nobody and that performance was in the news and they were like the opener was out here squirting champagne.
What’s your dream collab? The Dream because he’s one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and he does not get the credit for it.
What can you tell us about your new album?
It drops November 3rd it’s
called “Life of the Party.” It has amazing songs on it. It has like long songs on it. I got a six minute song on there, I got a five minute song on there. We have live instruments on like half of the project. I wrote every hook even if someone else sings it. I have one of my dream collabs on there, Serani. From my myspace days I wanted to do a collab with him. It’s my first time working with producer E. White out of Miami and he’s a genius. He has brought my music to a new level.
Who’s in your top 4? Kanye, Jay Z, Lauryn Hill, and Usher
PHOTOSET
TORY LANEZ
photographed by: kimani graham
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NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
BILLIE EILISH
written by: betsy schuller photographed by: stephanie tacy
Name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell Birthday: December 18, 2001 (age 16) Sign: Sagittarius Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
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rowing up in Los Angeles, California being raised and homeschooled by two actor/artist parents has made Billie no stranger to the scene. She was always known to be singing, trying to harmonize to anything and everything, even writing and singing her own songs as young as four years old. (Her parents) were very relaxed with the way they taught her brother, Finneas, and her. They let them choose the things they want to learn about and pursue. For this reason, Finneas is a self taught producer who is credited on every song on Billie’s debut album. This is also why Billie was introduced to dancing and horseback riding, a few of her favorite hobbies. At just 16, Billie (short for William) Eilish is on her way to becoming a household
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name. Released when she was 13, her first song “Ocean Eyes”, which was actually meant for a dance recital, garnered her critical acclaim and now, as of last month, has 44 million streams on Spotify. Eilish’s debut album “don’t smile at me” was released December of last year and made numerous international billboard charts and is still slowly climbing on the US charts. She has received much recognition from other esteemed artists who have remixed her first hit Ocean Eyes such as blackbear, Vince staples and Sofi Tukker. Her soft melodic voice has taken her to places that she never thought it could. She has opened tours, headlined her own and this summer is one of the biggest acts to grace the stages of Agenda Festival, Governors Ball Music Festival and Bonnaroo. Along with the festival appearances, Billie also has notable credits under her belt. The single Bored has been featured on the Netflix Original series 13 Reasons Why and she has collaborated with Khalid in their latest single, lovely.
SHOW REVIEW
DANIEL CAESAR Written and Photographed by: Jessica Padover
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aniel Caesar, a 22-year-old R&B singer from Toronto, exudes both minimalism and power at one of his two sold-out shows in Los Angeles last November. The singer did not need extravagant stage production to complement his smooth, rich sound. Instead, the single stage light shining behind Caesar allowed the audience to focus on his voice rather than other aspects of the show. With a beautiful, soulful opening from Snoh Aalegra, the two singers had the crowd swaying back and forth and singing along all night. Although Daniel Caesar came on much later than expected, DzBest Partdz from his album Freudian was definitely a crowd favorite. It didn’t matter that H.E.R., the female vocalist featured in the song, was not
the eyes of fans in the front row still lit up when the singer appeared on stage. physically present; the amount of fans singing along with Caesar made it seem like she was. With Daniel Caesar’s gospel-like voice and the audience’s choral sound, the Fonda Theatre became a peaceful safe haven from any outside troubles. This budding artist has a lot to look forward to in his music career. Even though he only released his debut album Freudian this past August, Caesar has already been nominated for both Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. With his dedicated fans, supportive fellow artists, and (most importantly) his talent, Daniel Caesar is sure to become a household name in the near future.
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PHOTO SET
HATE DRUGS
photographed by: jake tovar
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ALBUM REVIEW
CULTURE II
photography and writing by: stephanie tacy
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ap group Migos rose to the top of new aged Hip Hop in 2017 with their album Culture. Culture embodied choesive everything an artist should want in an album. It was cohesive yet every song stood alone on equal merits. Migos continued their climb into the spotlight while going on tour with Future as well as making strides in their personal lives including Offet’s proposal to Cardi B and Quavo’s joint album with Travis Scott. With the rap groups rising fame and pre-released radio hits, “Motorsport” and “Stir Fry”, the hype and anticipation for their follow up LP, Culture II, was uncanny. Culture II however turned out to be a disappointment. The album lacked fluidity and cohesiveness leaving it to read as more of a playlist than an album. However, even bigger than this, it was a missed opportunity. The album started off strong with songs “Higher We Go” and “Supastars” which stayed true to the Migos signature style and would have easily made great follow up tracks to Culture. But as the tracks played on there was just something missing. By the time the album reached its midpoint, it became tired and unfocused. Songs just
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started to blend together. In fact about ten of the songs would have been better off saved for another project or thrown out altogether. It was evident that the rap group did not commit the same amount of time and energy into this album that they poured into its predecessor. The rushed project could be summed up into it’s five best songs: “Higher We Go,”“Supastars,”“Motorsport,”“Notice Me,”and “Made Men.” These songs saved the album and gave proof that the group’’s talent is still evident though their focus was not. “Higher We Go” became a metaphor of the groups rising fame and what they’re willing to do for the culture. “Supastars” is the groups way of saying they’ve stayed true to their past despite the fame including the line “out my element, my niggas the same, don’t need no clout, no fame.” but at the same time the Migos are not afraid to stunt on you “Ice the gang, had to ice the gang, so much ice, had to ice the lane.”“Motorsport” served as the “Bad and Boujee” of Culture II. The pre-released track quickly became radio sensation with features from hip hop’s lead females Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. “Made Men” represented a more modern styled song for the group discussing how they were always made for fame while also discussing how the trio has officially made it. Lines such as “Rappers be talkin’, think they’re hurtin’ me, I took his ho, make her come work for me” and “We sell out the whole facility, not diggin your vibe, your energy” in the track “Notice Me” featuring Post Malone, are evidence of a distinct truth about the Migos. No matter how you criticize the trio, you are not going to stop them from being noticed, selling out shows, or getting that bag. Though we look forward to what the year brings for the rap group, for now their album gets a 2 out of 5.
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SHOW REVIEW
WALK THE MOON Photographed by: danielle ellis
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alk The Moon is mostly known for their radio hit “Shut up and Dance,” but their latest album showed us that there is so much more to them than just a 2014 radio hit. These boys are here to stay and determined to be recognized. Riding the release of their latest album “What If Nothing,” Walk the Moon embarked on a North American Tour backing the album. I had the opportunity to see Walk The Moon play two sold out show in Dallas, Texas and Madison, Wisconsin, and I had to pick up my jaw from the floor both times. They really know how to put on a show. Their 90 minute high-energy show got all ages dancing. With a diverse fanbase, they have a challenge every night to get everyone engaged, but only a few songs in to their set, they had full control of the crowd like no other band I’ve seen. The shows were extremely enjoyable for all ages, and even better when shared with friends. The shows themselves were consistent and very energetic. “What If Nothing” is a phenomenal album showcasing the band’s diversity and crossover from alternative to pop and harder rock. The band worked with producers who have previously cut albums for The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Nothing but Thieves, and other alternative rock bands. Walk The Moon still made this album original, filling the album with songs that could easily be singles, cover to cover. The band released their first single off the album titled “One Foot” in late 2017 and it quickly gained momentum and peaked at #1 in alternative songs for four weeks via billboard with a 30 week run on the charts. This album was different than others with more personal lyrics and stories being told. It connected the fans a little
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closer to the band they already know and and love. Their stage presence is an endearing force that lures you in and makes you want to dance and listen to the album on repeat days after the show. Showcasing crazy lights and electronic moments, the band really knew how to capture your attention. I highly recommend listening to the new album and catching an upcoming show. They just announced a summer tour supporting Thirty Seconds to Mars with Joywave and MisterWives.
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INTERVIEW
VISTA KICKS
The Vista Kicks are an independent band out of California featuring Sam, Derek, Nolan, and Trevor. What positions do you have in the band? Sam: “I play guitar and sing” Derek: “I sing” Nolan: “I play drums” Trevor: “I play base”
Where do you get your musical influence? Everywhere from the stars, plants, bugs, just Living life of course our heroes old and new from every genre of music from rock n roll, hiphop, jazz, to country. Where’s your favorite place to perform? “Austin is one of them but we had a really good show in LA. When we started out we really liked playing in LA at first people would just have their arms crossed but we have really
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found our own group of people to come out to the shows. We’ve built a culture around being yourself, loving yourself, and having a good time. Anywhere we can play at a place where people don’t give a shit about people looking at them and can just have a good time.” What are some upcoming projects we can expect to see from you? “We have a new album, 20 Something Nightmares, coming out in July. We’ve tracked 17 songs so we’ll see what makes it.” What is your favorite part of being a band? “It changes, you’ll go on a big long tour and you’re so happy doing it then towards the end you’ll be
like screw this, I just want to write records. Then the last few weeks in the studio, you’ll be like screw this and want to go on tour again.” What advice would you give someone trying to break into the industry? “Stop making music to impress other bands or labels. Stop trying to make the soup of the day and make your own soup, be proud of it. If you like it, then it’s probably good. If it came from your heart, it has to be good. Too many people are making music not for themselves and start there. People like honest work and authenticity and they can see it. The best people in this industry right now are as authentic as you can get.”
What other information do you feel that you want readers to know about your band? “What we’re doing is really easy, we are not tied to a label, we’re an independent band. We make our own music and other people should be able to do that without signing away their rights to say what they want to say. People should be able to say and make the art that they think is true to them. Make honest work, it’s a lot of work but anyone can do it and there is space for anyone.
photography and interview by: stephanie tacy
SHOW REVIEW
DUTCH MASTERS AT SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST
Written and photographed by: Stephanie Tacy
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n Thursday night, Dutchmasters hosted a show at Vulcan Gas Company. The night started out with coalition dj’s from Atlanta showcasing various up and coming artists. The best of which happened to be the only female on the lineup, K’ Valentine. In a racetrack style jumpsuit she performed “Chiraq” amongst other hits. Later that night esteemed DJ, DJ Esudd took over and brought out Zaytoven, and artists Baby Jesus, Boston George, and OX. Security struggled to get a hold of the crowd and continuously threatened to shut down the showcase. Around 1:30 am everyone was finally situated and the headliner, Young Jeezy, was able to take to the stage. Before performing the rapper sat for a brief Q and A with Kenny Burns. When asked by Burns what it meant to be a master craftsman, Jeezy responded,“It’s never been about the money; it’s always been about the movement and what you represent. If you gon’ be a master craftsman, you have to treat this shit like every verse is your first verse, every show is your first show, every song is your first song, and every ad lib is your first ad lib.”After the brief on stage interview, Jeezy performed both older and new hits as the crowd sang along word for word including
“Bang,”“Get Ya Mind Right,” and “Air Forces.” Giving the crowd the performance they had been waiting all night for.
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SHOW REVIEW
PANDORA HOUSE AT SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST
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Written and photographed by: Stephanie Tacy
oncertgoers packed into The Gatsby for the second day of Pandora’s SXSW showcases. The night started off with South American band Salt Cathedral. Vibes of the venue shifted as the lineup took a turn towards R&B and hip-hop. Saweetie introduced her emergence on the music scene with a brief 3 song set featuring backup dancers. She performed “ICY GRL” and “B.A.N.”before exiting. Kelela, a highly anticipated artist, slowed the vibe down with her r&b hits while rocking a trendy white trenchcoat. The crowd gained more energy in anticipation for the best performance of the night. Tinashe dominated the stage with her 4 backup dancers performing choreographed routines to her music including songs “2 On,”“No Drama,” and “Pretend. Most of the crowd cleared once Tinashe left the stage. Once JayDaYoungan took the stage in YFN Lucci’s slot, even more individuals walked out. This provided a more intimate setting for the rest of the night. JayDaYoungan walked around stage attempting to rap along with his tracks in a performance that is not even worth a review. YFN Lucci made a surprise performance later on in the night, revamping the crowds energy as he performed hits “Everyday We Lit,”“Key to the Streets,” and “You Know.”Lucci left abruptly before the headliner, Smokepurpp took to the stage. With a closed pit, he performed hits “Audi” and “What U Sayin” to the remaining concertgoers.
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PHOTOSET
G-EAZY
THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED
photographed by: danielle ellis
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SHOW REVIEW
FADER FORT
AT SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST Written and photographed by: Stephanie Tacy
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ader delivered a fire lineup over the course of it’s three days. Featuring a lot of upcoming artists and some unexpected special guests. Day two featured Palm, Molly Brazy, Juiceboxxx, G Perico, Snail Mail, TBN Nahmir, Soccer Mommy, and SOB x RBE.
Juiceboxxx was unexpectedly one of the best performers of the night. He jumped into the crowd to perform, “Open Up Your Life” swung around the microphone and jumped all around the stage during the entire set getting the energy started right. Later on up and coming rapper YBN Nahmir took to the stage to perform “Rubbin Off the Paint.” The special guest of the night was Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan who dropped by for a brief set featuring Wu-Tang hit “C.R.E.A.M.” Upcoming rap group SOB x RBE headlined the show. With their growing support from their hit “Paramedic!” that was featured in the movie Black Panther, the young group made a great addition to the Fader lineup. They performed this hit along with some of their other work including “Anti” and “Lane Changing.” Fader Fort hit capacity pretty early day three it was a humid Friday to close out their SXSW showcase. The lineup included Cuco, Mozzy, Pale Waves, Rico Nasty, Blocboy, Sahbabii, King Combs, and a highly anticipated special guest. Cuco, a latin american band out of California brought the feels as they performed “Sunnyside.” During a brief break the lead singer discussed the challenges artists of color often face in the music industry. Other highlights of the day include female rapper Rico Nasty who brought a special energy to the stage as she performed her songs “Keylime OG,”“Smack a Bitch,”“Poppin,” and “Trust Issues.” SahBabii later took to the stage in a studded leather jacket and performed “Marsupial Superstars” in a cloud of bubbles and even brought out his brother T3 to perform. BlocBoy JB and his crew jumped and danced around stage with infectious energy while performing “Look Alive” and “Shoot.”Another highlight was getting to watch King Combs perform while P. Diddy was watching via FaceTime. King performed songs including “Love You Better” and “Feeling Savage.” Around 9 pm the special guest, Rae Sremmurd, took to the stage. The energy was insane and the whole crowd was going crazy. The duo performed hits “Black Beatles,” and “Powerglide,” 20
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SHOW REVIEW
VANCE JOY
written by besty schuller and danielle ellis
photographed by: danielle ellis
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ustralian native, James Keogh, also known as his stage name Vance Joy, is a singer songwriter well known for his beach-y, indie sound that dwells on the highs and lows of love and life. He made his breakthrough in 2013 with his chart topping song Riptide off of his debut EP, God Loves You When You’re Dancing. Most stage names are drawn from nicknames that the artist have been given or a play on words with their name but Joy’s is a little different. In a Soundcheck Interview in 2014 he explained that he got his name from the book “Bliss” which is about a child who had a crazy story-telling grandfather, who’s name was Vance Joy (and he thought it was a cool name). Since his debut in 2013 he has headlined three tours, his last one being named after his latest album Nation of Two. The
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Nation of Two World Tour stopped in Dallas for a sold out tour. Vance captavated the crowd with his new album and new songs like “Saturday Sun”, “Like Gold”, “Lay It On Me” and more. Vance put on a phenominal show playing new songs and old. On stage with him was his full live band composed of a live horns section, panio, drums and gutires. I give the show a 10/10 and highly recomend the album it really showcases vance’s live talent and skill to surpass one hit wonder status.
SHOW REVIEW
HEAVY IS THE CROWN written and photographed by: stephanie tacy
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undreds packed into Emo’s in Austin on a cold saturday night for the sold out Heavy is the Crown tour. With the bass knocking and crowd hyped CyHi the Prince took to the stage performing songs from his new album No Dope on Sundays. The G.O.O.D Music veteran jumped around with an unexpected energy performing songs including “Dat Side,”“Nu Africa,”“80’s Baby,”“Trick Me,”“So Appalled,” and “I’m Fine.” The stage cleared and lights dimmed as anticipation in the crowd grew. A video popped up on the LED screens as a video introduced the headliner. With a blast of light and concertgoers cheering, Mississippi rapper, Big K.R.I.T., emerged on stage in all black performing “Big Bank.” His contagious energy radiated through the building as concertgoers rapped and danced along as he performed songs from his newest album, 4eva is a Mighty Long Time, including “Subenstein (My Sub IV),”“1999,”“Ride Wit Me,”“Get Up 2 Come Down,” and “Higher Calling.” About mid-set, K.R.I.T took a brief intermission as the DJ played a mix of songs from K.R.I.T’s catalogue including “Rotation,”“Mt. Olympus,”“Country Shit,” and “Temptation.” The crowd went wild rapping along as if the rapper had never left the stage. K.R.I.T reemerged to perform “Aux Cord,”“Layup,”“Mixed Messages,”“Confetti,”and “Bury Me in Gold.” Just when the lights started to dim and audience members thought the night was over, K.R.I.T resurfaced draped in a Multi Alumni custom preacher robe to perform “Keep the devil Off.” The “Justin Scott” intro played as audience members made their way out of the venue still reeling from an unforgettable night.
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SHOW REVIEW
JMBLYA FESTIVAL Photographed by: danielle ellis & stephanie tacy written by : stephanie tacy
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housands pushed their way into the JMBLYA festival grounds on a hot summer day at Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Saturday, May 5th. The two staged festival started with performances from Killy, Jack Harlow, and Dreamville artist, Cozz. Cozz was followed by Ski Mask The Slump God and Trippie Redd who provided one of the more energetic sets he bounced across the stage and climbed onto speakers. As the day advanced, the talent grew, Playboi Carti took to the stage singing his signature songs “Magnolia,” “Fetti,” “Broke Boi,” and “Yah Mean.” His energy transcended to the audience as their hype grew. The younger crowd then silenced to whispers as they tried to figure out who Houston Legend, Bun B was as he performed. Meanwhile the older generations rapped along to UGK hits including “Let Me See It,” “Draped Up,” “Front, Back, & Side to Side,” “Diamonds & Wood,” “Int’l Players Anthem,” and “Let Me See It.” T.I. took to the stage next in place of Kevin Gates who for legal reasons was unable to make an appearance at the fest. He performed his legendary hits “Whatever You Like,” “Bring ‘Em Out,” “Rubberband Man,” “What Ya Know,” “Motivation,” and more. The energy revamped as Young Thug took to the stage performing “Wyclef Jean,” “Patek Water,” and “Digits.” Meanwhile on the Shrimp stage, rap trio Migos emerged on stage in a mirage of smoke and blue lights performing “Culture”. The group dominated the stage as concertgoers cheered and sang along to every song including “Bad and Boujee,” “Slippery,” “Deadz,” “My Dawg,” “Stir Fry,” “T-shirt,” and “Motorsport.” Migos took it back for the day one fans as they performed “Fight Night,” “Hannah Montana,” and “Handsome and Wealthy.” As soon as the set started to come to a close, everyone rushed to the Wolf Stage trying to get as close as possible to see J. Cole. Cole performed an hour-plus set with the precision and energy all of the artists before him lacked. 24
The set included songs from KOD including “Motiv8,” “ATM,” “Kevin’s Heart,” and an acapella version of “1985” who’s recording later went viral. The Dreamville artist also touched on older songs for his day one fans including “Workout,” “Nobody’s Perfect,” “Tale of 2 Citiez,” and many more as the crowd sang along word for word.
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SHOW REVIEW
MADISON BEER written and photographed by: ben anderson
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adison Beer, at the age of only 19 years old, is touring the world to promote her debut album, As She Pleases. Starting at a young age, Beer was discovered off a YouTube video by Justin Bieber. Growing famous quick did not seem to scare Madison from performing an amazing show. The excited crowd practically sang every single word to every song. Each song was filled with emotion, especially when she performed one of her biggest hits, Dead. Madison’s breath taking voice made for a very memorable night. Hundreds of fans lined up out of the door after the show to get the chance so meet the queen herself. “You literally just made my lifelong dream come true! I love you!” said one of the excited fans after her and Madison Beer broke out in song together singing Beers song, Tyler Durden. It was one of those goose bump moments seeing that fans eyes light up when Beer joined in with her. This young pop-star is only starting and I think it is fair to assume that we will be hearing a lot more from her in the days to come.
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