The experimental hip hop group out of Sacramento, Death Grips, has returned to Cleveland on their co-headlining tour with Ministry, and truly rocked The Agora. By gaining their following through social media outlets such as Reddit, 4Chan, and Soundcloud, their audience is largely part of the younger generation of music listeners. I think the crowd was even shocked that they showed up with Death Grips being notorious for cancelling their major label debut tour in 2012, and deciding not to show up to their Lollapalooza show in 2013. By shrouding themselves in mystery, whether it be a series of intentional PR moves or not, no one truly understands the thinking that goes behind Death Grips but they absolutely love it.
As soon as MC Ride entered the completely dark stage the crowd went wild. With only green and red strobe lights attached to MC Ride and Andy Morin’s knuckles lighting up the venue, the atmosphere had a sense of chaos accenting the crazy set that would ensue for the next hour and a half. With Lock Your Doors starting out the set, the venue was packed full of energy, and there was not a single person in the crowd that was not going crazy. With MC Ride’s crazy movements on stage, Andy Morin’s crazy keyboarding, and Zach Hill’s out of this world drumming that is not typically found within a typical hip hop group. The show itself had a sense of energy that I have not seen within a live performance before. The setlist was comprised of songs across their discography including crowd favorites such as Up My Sleeves, Get Got, and I’ve Seen Footage; however, there was never a dull moment within the set. Watching the crowd from the balcony, I could see the passion that people had for the music that Death Grips’ has created and if you ever have the opportunity to see the cult hit I would highly recommend it. You can check them out on their remaining North American tour dates for this fall on their website!
