Preceding Fiasco was B.o.B., an Atlanta rapper backed by
a tepid, thoroughly boring rock band. The crowd still seemed to take to them,
although the group probably benefited from enthusiasm for the night’s main
attraction, as chants of “Lupe, Lupe” began before they had even vacated the
stage.
As for the man himself, Fiasco’s
energetic, charismatic and infectious performance encapsulated everything that
has propelled him to (near) superstardom. He displayed his own rockist bent by
adding a live drummer and guitar player to the standard DJ/MC setup, though
that only exacerbated the usual sound problems with rap shows at The Rave,
namely that the vocals often become buried under a deluge of poorly mixed bass.
Despite professing to be rather ill, Fiasco seemed committed to pleasing his
fans, warmly recalling his appearance at UW-Milwaukee’s Pantherfest and pouring
his all into crowd favorites like “Daydreamin’” and “Superstar.”
Overall it was a solid, satisfying show, given extra appeal by the fact that most other national rap acts seem to omit our fair city from their touring schedules. Still, it wasn’t so impressive that it didn’t allow the opportunity to ponder a few minor distractions, like the omnipresent odor of reefer or the puzzling, somewhat disappointing fact that even though the tour has been dubbed the “Steppin Laser” tour, the show didn’t include a single laser—only an abundance of strobe lights.
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