Girl at the Rock Shows

Wednesday night’s show at The Fillmore almost didn’t happen for me. I didn’t catch that the show had been moved from the massive Armory to the more intimate Fillmore and, by the time I did, it was Wednesday morning, and I felt like reaching out to the venue to ask to cover the show, so last-minute was a bit of a dick move. I should have paid more attention; that was on me, and I justified missing the show in my mind. I was tired and still recovering from Riot Fest. I really could use a night in to rest, get back in the swing of things, and, let’s be honest, one night at home wouldn’t kill me. This worked for a few minutes in the morning, but my gut said I needed to fight, so fight I did. Okay, it wasn’t really a fight. I admitted my mistake and very quickly pulled the strings I needed to get a ticket to the highly anticipated show. My mood went from slightly depressed to insanely ecstatic in a matter of minutes. I didn’t know what Wednesday night would bring, but my gut said it was something I had to be at.

Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., better known as B.o.B., kicked the night off. I’ll be the first to admit that, in my mind, B.o.B. was and is a one-hit wonder with his 2010 single “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. That was my mind before this man took the stage. Although first up and performing to a crowd that was still growing, B.o.B. gave the audience a set that was as quirky as it was full of conviction. My favorite part of his time on stage was Bobby’s quirky dance moves. He was a bit dorky as he danced around the stage, and there was something about that that was just pure charm. Add to the fact that he is so much more than just that one hit I mentioned, and you were left with an electrifying set that may have been the reason my gut told me I couldn’t miss this show. Although I was more excited for the second act to take the stage, there was something so perfect and fun about B.o.B.’s set that I could not shake it and, if I’m going to be completely honest with you, I woke up the morning after with this feeling that, although hard to admit given my excitement over the second act, B.o.B. stole this show and ran away with it.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Gym Class Heroes’ ‘The Papercut Chronicles.’ Released in 2005, this hip-hop-based album found its footing in the emo and pop-punk scene. Don’t ask me how or why. All I know is that this was an introduction into a new world for me, and although that world of hip-hop and rap would constantly shift as far as its importance in my life, Gym Class Heroes stayed a constant. Although a constant in my life, Gym Class Heroes hasn’t been a constant out on the road. They have been on a bit of a hiatus since 2012 but seem to be gearing up for something, and we got a small taste of that on Wednesday. Mixed into a set of tracks spanning much of this band’s storied career were two brand-new songs. I’m not going to say that I was cheesin’ through the two new tracks as much as I was reminiscing along with the more tried-and-true tracks, but a smile stretched across my face during the two new tracks that surely looked a bit odd and sus. Truthfully, it just made me so happy that not only was this band working on new material, but that they haven’t completely shifted their sound. The new tracks were still the hip-hop-based, emo, and pop-punk-infused sound that got me into this band.

We didn’t just get to hear Gym Class Heroes songs during their set; we also got to hear a few songs from vocalist Travie McCoy’s solo catalog. Although those songs don’t do it for me like the full-band, nostalgia-inducing tracks do, there was no denying that Travie performed them with a sense of heart and love that made it hard not to fall madly and deeply for them. That being said, something felt a bit lackluster about this set. It wasn’t the band. In fact, seeing Travie with a live band was a highlight of the set. It was more in Travie himself. I couldn’t understand everything he was telling the crowd, but from what I did catch, it sounds like he had something wrong with his neck and was having a hard time moving. Maybe I wanted more visually from this set than what was offered. Really, it sounded good and was giving me nostalgia and hope for the future all at the same time, but as the house lights came on and the house music took over after the set, I couldn’t help but feel just a wee bit disappointed by the energy I got throughout Gym Class Heroes’ time on stage.

Whatever energy Gym Class Heroes left on stage, headliner Lupe Fiasco quickly picked it up and threw it into the audience. I was never a huge Lupe Fiasco fan if I’m being quite honest. Although I like hip-hop and rap, it’s a scene that I purely dabble in, not really get lost in, and, unfortunately, Lupe Fiasco just wasn’t one of the names I came across enough to really know much about. That being said, you didn’t really have to know his music to enjoy his set on Wednesday night. He was energized but in a laid-back kind of way. It was this vibe of being too cool for school but also being so appreciative of all the fans that were singing along to every word of every song. It added this feeling of comfort to his set that I wasn’t quite expecting. Sure, I didn’t know much of the music he played and could only sing along to a handful of the nearly twenty songs that he played during his set, but that didn’t mean I didn’t belong there. The room felt cozy and full of love in a way that I didn’t quite expect, and although I definitely can not make up for the time that I’ve lost with Lupe Fiasco, I can start spending more time with him and his music.

I almost didn’t go to the show on Wednesday night and, honestly, life would have gone on without much of a pause. That being said, I’m glad this all worked out. I loved the fact that I got to be introduced to a tried-and-true legend like Lupe Fiasco, get lost in my nostalgia-fueled world with Gym Class Heroes, and got to be surprised by B.o.B. Overall, this was a perfect way to spend a Wednesday night.

Line Up:

B.o.B.

Gym Class Heroes

Lupe Fiasco

Venue: Fillmore

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 29

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

B.o.B. – 0

Gym Class Heroes – 4

Lupe Fiasco – 1

Show on Deck – MT Jones / Woolly Mack

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