By Varun Kataria and Mai Ton
Tyler’s set began with IGOR’s overture tack, “IGOR’S THEME.” The performance was introduced by the characteristic ear-piercing bass synths found in every track throughout IGOR. The bass fueled the crowd while Tyler faced his fans, frozen in the center of the stage, entirely emotionless. Then, the beat dropped, and the IGOR TOOR fun began, all while Tyler stared directly at the crowd, unmoving.
Following his introduction, Tyler began getting loose and into the performance with his following performance of “I THINK”. The hard-hitting, however groovy and rhythmic track, led to intricate mix of mosh-pits and dance circles, and allowed fans to release all of their pent-up energy.
Tyler’s performance could be broken down into several acts, each separated by the drop of the curtain providing the backdrop for his set. Each set was distinguishable, with the first being his energizing tracks from IGOR, followed by some of his melodic, slower tracks, then a section of classic throwbacks from GOBLIN, WOLF, and Flower Boy, before returning to crowd sing-a-longs like “See You Again”, and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?”
As the concert continued, and Tyler danced his heart out on stage, played the piano, and joked with the crowd, all while donning a fluffy blonde wig, retro sunglasses, and a full teal suit, it’s clear that Tyler is able to stick to his authentic self without selling out for a mainstream audience. This is even clear in his performance techniques, as other hip-hop artists of the current generation use classic concert gimmicks of yelling at the crowd to open up a mosh pit, using restraint-and- 3, 2, 1 release techniques to get fans excited, and throwing water bottles into the crowd; none of these were present for the IGOR TOOR. It was refreshing to witness a hip-hop concert performed in a unique manner with an artistic performance vision, and resultantly see fans react to the beauty and complexity of Tyler’s music, rather than gimmicks. Building on this, Tyler also performed without any backing vocal tracks, facing up to the challenges that come with performing entirely live, and letting fans enjoy his uniquely deep voice. The concert, for Tyler, was a stage that he treated as intimately as if it were one back at home where he was by himself and just immersing himself in the music. Here, we could be there with him, feel how much Tyler cared for his artistry, and let his love embrace us.
The stage design was simple, using the same elements theatrical scene elements seen throughout Tyler’s various music videos and album visuals, allowing the majority of the attention to remain on the artist. However in the latter part of the concert, various sections of the backdrop were used to display eccentric visuals, some which showed his hair growing and shrinking into his head and another which cut up a projection of Tyler into various distorted pieces. Tyler’s Instagram bio often summarized the vibe of the concert perfectly, as an “indie movie with a budget.”
As this was the last stop on the tour, and the end of Tyler’s IGOR era, Tyler ended the concert with an emotional and tear-filled thank you to his fans and commented on how he made it this far by simply being weird. This weirdness provided for a captivating and one-of-a-kind hip-hop performance, truly raising the bar for other performers within the genre.
