Chance Concert Proves to be Unforgettable

Dark+lights+illuminate+Chance+the+Rapper+who+recently+performed+at+Jiffy+Lube+Live.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DREW INGALL.

Dark lights illuminate Chance the Rapper who recently performed at Jiffy Lube Live.

By Drew Ingall, Arts Editor

 

In one of hip hop artist Chance the Rapper’s most popular songs, he raps “You don’t want No Problem, want No Problem with me.” This was evident in his concert performance in Bristow, Virginia, where fans had pretty much “No Problem” with his performance.

 

On June 4, hip hop artist Chance the Rapper performed at Jiffy Lube Live to over 23,000 people from all over the DMV area, including many students from CHS. Chance’s performance had a ton of energy, and a great atmosphere that made for an incredible experience.

 

To start out, the venue of the concert was perfect for a Chance the Rapper concert. Jiffy Lube Live is an outdoor venue, so you get the feel for more of a festival than a concert, which made for a lot of energy. It was also able to hold 23,000 people, which made for Chance’s biggest concert on his “Be Encouraged” tour. Even from the lawn, you can see the stage particularly well compared to other outdoor venues.

 

What was happening on stage was also spectacular. Chance incorporated many special effects and pyrotechnics into his songs that pumped the audience up. For example, Chance used fireworks for when the beat dropped in many songs he performed. He also used a slideshow on the screen behind him in order to have a certain effect on the audience. When he performed his hit song, “No Problem,” there was a montage of the Grammys he has won, followed by all of the record labels he turned down. It made Chance’s performance seem almost like a victory lap due to the fact that he won so many Grammys without having a record label.

 

Chance the Rapper put certain spins on some of his songs that almost sounded better than the original ones. This was the case for songs like “Ultralight Beam” and “Special,” where Chance brought out a gospel choir to sing backup. This made for an almost euphoric version that seemed to have a much stronger vibe than the original recorded versions. Chance also performed his own version of the Kanye West song entitled “Waves” that in my opinion, was better than the official version.

 

The only downside to Chance’s concert was that he didn’t have as much time as he normally did. Although his opening act, DJ Oreo, did put on a great opening, he went overtime, and because of this, Chance could only perform for an hour and a half instead of his normal two hours. This led to many songs being cut out of his setlist, such as “Finish Line/Drown,” “How Great,” and various songs off of his mixtape “Acid Rap.” Chance also didn’t have a ton of time in between songs to do his usual banter, which can be very entertaining.

 

But the timing was only a minor issue, as Chance the Rapper was able to make an awesome experience for his audience. Those who have the opportunity to see him on his Be Encouraged Tour should really take advantage of it to have an unforgettable experience.