Written and Photos by Israel Lerma
The Big Day is finally here, and no, I am not talking about Chance the Rapper's album that is better than what people say. Because on September 12th at Houston's vibrant 713 Music Hall, Chance the Rapper came for the 10th Anniversary of Coloring Book. As an addict to Acid Rap and Chance, I was so excited when I got the notification to do press for such a sick Chicago rapper and innovator. I got myself ready and entered the show with a sense of glee upon seeing the famous album cover and "3" hat. For his first song, All We Got, the intro to the album was played. This song featuring Ye and Chicago's own choir is so fire, and such a nice tone to start this show. Taking photos for Chance was so fire, as he rapped every word, interacted with the audience, and constantly kept moving.
He played most of Coloring Book in order but sprinkled some new songs here and there. I am not the biggest fan of Starline; it just does not have an entertainment or replay ability appeal. I will say, when he performs those songs, he is rapping from the soul, and the accompanying text background makes it simple and impactful. Back to the Coloring Book tracks, he plays some bangers like Angels, Mixtape, and Juke Jams, with no features. Chance is great at following along with th
e tracks, keeping the energy and movement flowing. He also played two of his most famous tracks, Ultralight Beam and I'm the One. Ultralight beam was quite a surprise, as it did not follow the original TLOP version. Instead, Chance put his own spin, with a more angelic choir sorta feeling. When the famous " I met Kanye West, I am never going to fail " hit, the crowd erupted, leaving a mark as the loudest the building had ever been. I'm the One was also groovy and had that silly Chance side with it.
A surprise guest came out, being Houston's very own Tisa Korean. He is the Houston Legend and performed his part of Groceries and a song off his new album, RAW. Tisa's new album, RAW, is must-see; it's an innovative, silly, but serious sound you should tune into. My favorite part of the night was obviously the 2 Acid Rap songs, Cocoa Butter Kisses and Everybody's Something. And yeah, these were the best, most emotional songs that made me fall in love with Chance's sound. As the show ended with his staple Same Drugs, a confetti cannon shot out to everyone, erupting and highlighting the audience into a state of stardom os sorts
Rating this show, Letterboxd style
- Setlist - 0.75 --> Would have loved some features, and more Acid Rap rather than Starline. I know Acid Rap has been out for 10 years already, but still.
- Stage Presence - .75 --> It was quite good; the only complaint is little to no discussion with the audience
- Performance - 1.00 --> For a long setlist, he did a great job in hitting, breathing, singing/rapping, which was quite impressive.
- Audience -.75. --> No complaints, but nothing quite
stood out. - Overall Experience / Vibe .75 --> Good old-fashioned time, nice songs, nice surprise, and great vibes from everyone at the show
- Total 4/5 Stars
stood out.