Concert Review: Brockhampton-- Boston, MA-- February 5th, 2018

Lineup: Brockhampton ("Love Your Parents Tour")
Venue: House of Blues, Boston, MA
Date: February 5th, 2018

Brockhampton: Unlike the Dow Jones, Brockhampton's stock in the music world keeps rising and is currently displaying no signs of slowing down. Thanks to the overwhelming success of last year's Saturation trilogy, this hip-hop collective has developed a passionate, rapidly growing fanbase within a year of entering the national spotlight. That rabid following they've earned and the vibrant, distinct music that drew them in was apparent during their wild sold-out performance at the Boston stop of their "Love Your Parents" tour on Monday night.

If there was any doubt about Brockhampton ability to sustain the tidal wave of buzz that's surrounding them at the moment, their live show eviscerates it. The room was full of the type of intense sing-a-longs, constant jumping around and visible enthusiasm that is typically reserved for acts that have been around for several years, if not decades. Just about every song they played during their nearly two hour set received a strong reaction and that constant wave of energy created a raucous, party-like atmosphere that was awesome to be a part of.

Brockhampton's live show also does a good job of showcasing how much they treasure and buy into the concept of being a true group. These guys attack every song as a unit and despite their immense individual talents, no member tries to command the spotlight for themselves (not even de facto leader Kevin Abstract, whose previously enjoyed success as a solo artist). As much as I love hip-hop's abundance of big personalities, it's cool to see a group of gifted artists put an emphasis on team success over individual accomplishments. I firmly believe that the authentic sense of family these guys possess and way each member's distinct style/personality complements one another has played a crucial, underrated role Brockhampton's in breakout stardom.

There was a handful of rough patches from a technical standpoint (particularly on "GUMMY", "SWEET" and "ZIPPER") sprinkled throughout the set and the gimmick of repeatedly playing "STAR" to close out their shows because it's their favorite song to play live really grated on me, but this was mostly a polished, fun performance from one of hip-hop's most promising young acts. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again at Boston Calling on Memorial Day weekend.

Score:
Brockhampton 8/10

Setlist:
BOOGIE
QUEER
STAR
GUMMY
FACE
ZIPPER
SWAMP
GOLD
JELLO
SISTER
STUPID
JUNKY
SWEET
BUMP
BLEACH
SUMMER
TEAM

Encore:
HOTTIE
HEAT
STAR
STAR
STAR
STAR