On March 31st, I was able to see Tyler, The Creator at the arena formerly known as the Staples Center for his "Call Me If You Get Lost" tour. In 2019, I was able to catch Tyler during his "Igor" tour, so I thought I had an idea of what the show would be like. To my surprise, nothing could have prepared me for the show that I witnessed. From the set design to the energy brought from Tyler, his "Call Me If You Get Lost" tour was something truly special to behold.
Opening the show, Teezo Touchdown took the stage. He had a minimal setup with pieces of wood decorated with graffiti and construction equipment. The stage area he had was limited due to the set pieces that Kali and Tyler would require later during their performances. Teezo made the most out his performance bringing high-intensity punk energy to the stage. Short but sweet, he made his mark showing he's one who does not waste opportunity to put on a good show.
The wait between performances was short with Vince Staples coming out shortly after. He performed in the platform that was in the middle of the GA floor. The stage was made out of a grate with smoke and lights coming out from underneath. Though it was nothing too flashy, the top-tier lighting and production team made the low-key set-up really stand out. Vince's performance showed why he is continuously one of the most underrated artists in rap. Every single song he played was a hit from his opening track of Blue Suede until he closed with Norf Norf. It was a great performance, which I don't feel that the crowd personally did justice for. Since LA was his hometown, I was expecting more love for such a great set.
If there is one artist that the stadium was ready to go crazy for, it was Kali Uchis. The moment the lights dimmed for her performance, the arena erupted in thunderous screams. With a performance like she put on, it's no doubt why people love her so much. I had seen Kali once before also in 2019 at the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Her 2019 performance was great, but the difference in production value from that to this was incomparable. Kali was accompanied on stage by some incredibly talented background dancers. To call them background dancers even seems like an insult because their performance was so stellar in the ways that they accented certain beats and feelings of the songs phenomenally. She made great use out of the multi-tier stage with a massive LED screen behind her. When Kali and her dancers weren't up on the screen, the use of color set such a perfect mood for whatever song she was playing. The show was such an all around delight with fantastic vocals, dancing, and a surprise appearance from none other than Don Toliver.
Finally, the moment had come for the main event. After starting off with an intro video, Tyler rose from beneath the stage in his vintage Rolls Royce Wraith. Tyler wastes no time in his performances. From his opening song, Corso, the energy was dialed all the way up. With sparks flying down from above the stage, you already knew you were in for something special. He came out wearing a tie and jacket, and he quickly changed into the famous leopard print button down he's been donning for this tour. When he's not performing, Tyler's interludes where he is simply talking are just as entertaining. From his crowd interactions to his personal anecdotes about certain feelings towards the arena's name change, he makes it a show.
The production design for his set was nothing short of breathtaking. I found myself in a state of amazement countless times. This tour is a complete masterclass in how to create a top product in every sense of a live performance. Even without looking at the camera view from the LED screens, the lighting cues and colors were so perfect. The team should be applauded for their stellar work because even from where I was standing, it looked like I was watching a movie that should be nominated for best cinematography. The sets themselves were monumental. The main stage featured a house painted a beautiful blue pastel color. It was rigged with lighting strips on the outside and the windows glowed, sometimes featuring silhouettes of trumpet players or one A$AP Rocky. A boat on tracks even took Tyler from stage to stage. The second smaller stage was graced with patches of grass with wonderful overhead lighting. I had seen some photos of what it looked like on social media, but witnessing it in person was something different all together.
Tyler took the main stage to perform songs from his new album, transitioning to the second stage for cuts from Flower Boy and older material. Since this was the hometown show for Tyler as well, he spent sometime giving a beautiful speech about the early days when he was starting to get his footing creatively. He detailed his first time meeting the members of Odd Future with an inspiring undertone to it all. From there he proceeded to move through some of his older material like She, Smuckers, and Tamale. Finally, he moved back to the main stage to wrap up with a few more songs, notably an absolutely electrifying performance of New Magic Wand.
Even if you go to a million concerts, there's always one that will just absolutely take your breath away. For me, that was Tyler's "Call Me If You Get Lost" tour. I felt like I did the first time I ever went to a show, just absolutely enamored by the complete wonder of it all. The show was also a moment that I realized just how vast and far reaching his catalog of music has become. He's been in the game for so long and it's amazing to hear how iconic and prevailing some of those older songs are. It truly made me realize how it's hard to notice this sometimes since he's still so young and active in the music industry, but he is one of the legends of rap and music at large. The impact and pull he has on his audience is not something to be overlooked. He's been able to foster such a devoted fanbase that people would kill for. I know these are known statements that people have already talked about a million times, but seeing it for yourself and in-person is just such an amazing reminder of what makes Tyler so special in the world of music today.
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