Despite being a longtime fan of Tyler, The Creator, this past show in Columbus for his “Chromakopia” tour was my first time seeing him live. I went in with very high expectations from clips I had seen from past tours, but the show exceeded my expectations tenfold.
The energy, excitement and talent brought to the stage left the arena shaking long after the show had ended. Not only did he perform the majority of songs from his newest album, “Chromakopia,” but he also paid homage to many past records in what was the most unique way I’ve seen an artist perform live.
Tyler created one of the most immersive and interactive sets I have ever seen. For the part of the set where he performed songs from his past albums, Tyler walked over the pit on a bridge to a secondary stage at the other end of the arena, where he performed to the people who weren’t as close as others. While doing so, he took each individual vinyl album out of its sleeve and placed it on a record player set up in the center of the “B” stage. Then, he would proceed to sing different songs from that album before putting it back in a rack to grab another vinyl.
This was one of the most creative ways I’ve seen an artist sing their older music at a concert while giving each album its own separate recognition, and it became one of my favorite parts of the concert. I’ve never seen an audience so excited to see what an artist would play next. Each part of the set felt like a surprise, and it kept everyone engaged throughout the entire show.
The crowd engagement wasn’t the only enjoyable aspect, as the visual effects with lights and on-screen displays really added to the ambiance of the performance. Throughout the show, Tyler used strobe lights and multi-colored lights to amplify the scene and create almost a rave feeling with the display.
The show Tyler offered, including performance, attention to set details, visual effects and general excitement, made this one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
