As the night began, the opening DJ set the mood, playing some of the most recognizable tracks from the clout rap era of 2016 to the newer vamp era that has dominated in the past few years. Hearing “Look at Me!” by XXXTentacion brought back many memories. Though House of Blues has a policy against moshing, the raging fans created an atmosphere only seen in bigger events such as multi-day festivals.
After an electric performance at Rolling Loud, Eem Triplin brought energy to the House of Blues! Reciting some of his most played tracks, such as “Awkward Freestyle” and “Just Friends,” he gave the crowd a sense of familiarity. After going viral for performing to a group of 13 people, Eem has skyrocketed in popularity, prompting his tour with Lucki.
As someone who has explored the alternative trap genre very little, Eem’s opening set was an introduction to the scene for myself. Though I had never been in that environment, the underground sounds seemed familiar. It was sonically similar to the likes of Playboi Carti and Yeat, two industry staples who gained mainstream appeal over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Though this sub-genre of rap/trap music is rooted in “clout rap,” it has pushed a trend of mixing rap with genres such as punk and rock. This was something that started in the early days with the dark themes of Three 6 Mafia and continued to seep its way into the lyrics of newer artists, such as Xavier Wulf and Lil Uzi Vert.
At 10 PM, the main act was set to perform. Lucki had a roaring crowd of fans waiting for an explosive entrance. He delivered, kicking his set off with “Super Urus,” which elevated the sense of euphoria in the crowd to its max level for the night. Seeing someone command a crowd so effortlessly was a very surreal experience. To add to the sense of being on cloud nine, Lucki’s set was accompanied by some of the best visuals displayed throughout his setlist. These included flashing images of alien invasions and a heartbreak story, among many others. This resonated a lot with me, since I have rarely seen an artist prepare a set in such a way that it not only appeals to one’s sense of hearing, but also to their sense of sight.
Additionally, the chemistry shared between the crowd and the performers is something that I could not ignore. I credit this to some of the performers giving away free merchandise before the show, ultimately creating a consistent dialogue between the fans and talent. At times during his performance, Lucki even shouted out some of the fans who had brought a Mexican flag.
Overall, Lucki and Eem came together very well. Eem’s performance set a melancholic, lighthearted theme that merged well with Lucki’s discography. Both acts interacted with fans generously, which is always good to see. As Lucki and Eem are still in the cult following era of their careers, they show great promise to become like others who have come before them.
