By Gaurav Bhanot and Tibebe Gebiso
A$AP Ferg’s new tour made a stop at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Thursday, March 1. The Mad Men tour blew up the musical hot spot of Southern Maryland and brought fans of Jay IDK and Denzel Curry as well. While the main act was preparing to storm the show, the opening acts brought adrenaline and surprisingly produced a rave crowd.
As the doors, opened Jay IDK took the stage. Considering the fact that he is not yet well known, he introduced himself and spoke about his origins and struggles. As he took the stage, he spoke of how ecstatic he was to be back in his hometown. His performance was the embodiment of Eastern Hip-Hop. His hardcore, up-tempo music heated up the crowd for the more known Denzel Curry.
After Jay IDK’s performance, Denzel Curry performed some of his well popular singles including “Threatz” and a song with Jay IDK, “No Wave.” Curry brought a different vibe with his music, as he is known for his rough and gritty beats wrapped up with his underrated lyrical ability. The most intriguing segment of his show was an electrifying performance of his most popular song, “Ultimate.” Overall, the youthful opening artists brought the necessary build up required for Ferg’s performance.
Ferg provided many visual effects from the very start of his show. As he entered the spotlight, white smoke surrounded him while the song “Trap and a Dream” began rumbling the wooden panels. There were other visuals including an inspirational video of Ferg overcoming the struggles of growing up in Harlem. He was able to balance those emotional moments with moments of pure anarchy as the crowd erupted when he played his most famous song “Plain Jane.” Ferg was able to demonstrate his feelings on his current success and highlight what he wants to do musically in the future.
Although the performances were stellar, preparation was a nightmare for the stage crew. The breaks between songs gave fans time to take in the calm before the storm. This waiting made the audience restless as they began chanting Ferg’s name sporadically to hopefully make him come out and finish his performance.
Ferg spent endless time preparing for his performance after Denzel Curry. Many of them from his acclaimed album Still Striving. Songs he performed included “Work,” ”Nandos,” and “Mad Man.” After the new era of his music was played, he played many of his older songs that automatically divided the newer fans from the originals. Musical masterpieces such as “Shabba”, “Hood Pope”, and “Old English” were broken up to bring a newer vibe for all types of fans.
The main highlight of the show was not only Ferg himself but the general aura of interacting with fans from all part of the Metropolitan area. The music from all performers was worth every single penny spent on the ticket. To reiterate, the hyped songs of “Plain Jane” and “Ultimate” truly made the concert as enjoyable as it could be. The song choices and visual prowess made up for the moments of agony while waiting for A$AP Ferg to perform.