Lil Uzi Vert @ The Anthem - 12/15/2017
For the past two years, Lil Uzi Vert has stood out as one of rap's brightest stars. The ascension from Soundcloud sensation to self-proclaimed "rock star" has been fast-tracked, powered by multiple mixtapes, two top ten Billboard singles ("XO TOUR Llif3" and "Bad and Boujee"), and a #1 debut album in Luv Is Rage 2 released in late August. The Philadelphia native took advantage of his momentum this year by kicking off his holiday tour A Very Uzi Christmas with 6,000 fans in attendance for the Anthem's first hip-hop concert.
Lil Uzi Vert's catalog of music consists of infectious energy and raw emotion and that translates well to his live performances. Uzi is mostly known for his rapid delivery of lyrics packed on top of addictive trap sounds which are perfect sing-alongs for the mostly younger audience. He began his set with "Sauce It Up," while bouncing atop of his stage prop to set the tone for the rest of the night which was a wild ride. Visually, fans were reminded of Uzi's Marilyn Manson influence, with 3 inverted crucifixes. Also, the synergy of the lighting with the nonstop bass in the venue contributed to the electric atmosphere.
Lil Uzi Vert performing at The Anthem in Washington, DC. (Photo by Avery Junius / @1takeace )
When performing his breakout single "Money Longer," Uzi hit his signature shoulder shimmy in which to resist the urge to do it yourself was a challenge in itself. There was no slowing Uzi down in his delivering of the barrage of hits that catapulted him to his position in rap today. Crowd favorites from his newest album consisted of "444+222," "For Real," "Neon Guts," "Early 20 Rager," and his biggest solo hit thus far "XO TOUR Llif3". "XO TOUR Llif3" was performed twice back-to-back. On the second playback, Uzi asked the crowd "Who knows the whole song?" before tossing a lucky fan his microphone. Unfortunately this opportunity wasn’t taken advantage of properly due to the fact the microphone fell straight to the floor and nobody attempted to sing the lyrics. "XO TOUR Llif3" and "The Way Life Goes" is perhaps when Uzi is at his peak, in which he finds his niche in the emo rap realm by discovering the perfect balance of singing and rapping about the emotions experienced during his breakup with his longtime girlfriend.
Uzi also used his time to revisit some older fan favorites in his arsenal. Songs like "WDYW," "7AM," "Canadian Goose," "Do What I Want," and "Ps and Qs" were recited in their entirety by the audience. Uzi made sure to acknowledge his acceptance in D.C. by reciting a piece of his intro to "Grab the Wheel" in which he sings blissfully "When I'm in D.C. they call me moe" randomly throughout his set.
DJ/Producer Austin Millz and Lil Skies each had a set as they warmed the crowd up leading to Lil Uzi Vert's performance. Austin Millz released his project Cyclone earlier this year. Lil Skies debut mixtape Life of a Dark Rose is set to release early January 2018.
