After waiting nearly two hours for A$AP Rocky to start the premiere tour show for his latest album “Don’t Be Dumb” — without an opener — even his biggest fans were grumbling.
However, complaints quickly turned into cheers as an opening snippet of “Grim Freestyle” blasted through the speakers, and Rocky proved his finesse as a performer and crowd tamer when he started rapping and interacting with the audience.
He began the show in an unusual area: the third level of Chicago’s United Center, a section I assumed to be blocked off because of its horrible view. But this time, those who bought nosebleed tickets on the upper left side might have had better views of Rocky than those on the floor.
Rocky built rapport with his fans as the night went on, reaching out to touch people’s hands, picking up articles of clothing thrown at him and even coming down from the stage to interact with the audience.
What was most endearing, though, was his persistence to keep the show going even as he struggled to hear his songs’ backtracks. During the show’s first quarter, Rocky announced that he was having problems with his sound but would continue on because “these people paid good money” and said he was excited to be in Chicago.
His Wednesday performance was his first time back in the city since Lollapalooza in August, when he headlined the last day of the festival.
“Don’t Be Dumb” is also Rocky’s first album in eight years. During that time, he released singles sporadically, like “Sundress” and “Tailor Swif,” both of which he played during his concert.
His fans clearly stayed loyal through the album-less years, as the almost full 23,500-seat stadium erupted with fans screaming the lyrics.
Rocky was also plenty busy during the time between albums. He starred in two A24-produced feature films, had three children with pop star Rihanna and stood trial on two felony assault charges related to a 2021 shooting incident.
These events did not take away from his charismatic stage presence and masterful use of the venue, where he performed on a variety of surfaces, ranging from elevated platforms to the regular stage.
At one point, Rocky emerged on a helicopter hanging from the ceiling, moving to an elevated platform on the stage that resembled a landing pad.
Fire and smoke effects were also heavily used as Rocky rapped his hype choruses on a microphone made to look like a megaphone.
He also often gestured to fans in the upper levels, rather than just those on the floor, blowing kisses, tapping his heart and pointing to shout out select people.
Although I will never truly know if he pointed at my friend and me, we swear he saw us jumping up and down. Although the crowd was absolutely packed, Rocky paid special attention to each section and level, which made the atmosphere as intimate as could be in a huge stadium.
Rocky’s energy level was also consistently high, even though the crowd definitely died down in his less popular songs. Whether everyone was singing along or only a couple knew the lyrics, he rapped and interacted with his fans in the same manner.
As he performed his final songs on a small platform lifted from the stage, he reassured fans from the floor to the nosebleeds, saying “every view is the perfect view.”
If Rocky was still upset about his sound at the end of his show, he did not show it, repeating “Chicago, I wish that I could stay here for life,” after performing his song “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” featuring Brent Faiyaz.
Despite the hours of waiting, by the end of the concert I wished I could stay there for life too.
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