Thumping bass could be felt and cosmic flashes of light seen flooding from Pioneer Park at this week’s Twilight concert. With a double headliner consisting of Run the Jewels and Flying Lotus, it was a night of beats, rhymes and some psychedelic light play.
Run the Jewels was the first to step out on the stage after the opening local rap group, House of Lewis. Run the Jewels has seen great success this last year with the release of a new album and many were excited to see them on the Twilight lineup once again. Though they were one of the headliners of the evening, Run the Jewels ended up coming off as more of second opener for Flying Lotus. They had a die-hard crowd at the front; however, the majority of people were still trickling onto concert grounds, milling around and buying beer. The group launched in with good energy but seemed to stick with many of their classic numbers off their debut album, “Run the Jewels,” shying away from their second album, “Run the Jewels 2.” The sound quality fell bit short of what it could have been, with much of it sounding overly raw and even slightly abrasive at times. However, the crowd generated more and more energy throughout the set and called the group back for an encore number which did come from their new album, showcasing the band’s aggression and inventiveness.
Twilight had fallen during the last number by Run the Jewels and the excitement of the audience grew palpable in the falling darkness. The crowd expanded in anticipation of Flying Lotus, known as FlyLo by fans. Flying Lotus, from Los Angeles, is a music producer, rapper, disc jockey and electronic musician with five studio albums to his name. FlyLo has also collaborated with big names in hip-hop and jazz including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Herbie Hancock along with producing theme music for many of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programs.
FlyLo did not disappoint the eager crowd. The first few numbers he set forward had the audience entranced by the double screens of abstract, pulsating lights and shapes as the beats reverberated in the air. FlyLo could be seen behind the light show with glowing orange sunglasses and his face obscured by a black mask which didn’t come off until about halfway through his set. The visual show served as his stage presence in the beginning as he let the music speak for him, engaging the audience more than some other acts where the artists directly address the masses. A few of the visuals were a little strange, as they depicted grotesque human forms and some gory action, however it only served to keep attention rapt. The crowd also went wild at his unique remix of “Know Yourself” by Drake.
Though the audience was more than content with the lights, shapes and sounds, they were ecstatic when FlyLo emerged from behind the screen. Having taken off his mask, he launched into an engaging, exciting stage performance. He gave the audience a taste of his dynamic lyrical capabilities and had everyone dancing and singing along with what they knew. FlyLo was not afraid to interact with the crowd, even taking a couple drags from a suspicious looking “cigarette” somebody generously threw on stage for him and trying to find the owner of a lost shoe. He kept up the excitement through to the end, firing off some last minute mind-bending visuals that had everyone trying to film the screen on their phones.
The Twilight Concert Series brings Salt Lake out to enjoy acts both big and small all summer long. Run the Jewels and Flying Lotus brought unique talent and presentation to the stage. Though both bands had their high points, Flying Lotus stole the show with an electric performance that was exactly the change of pace the crowd was searching for. The series continues next Thursday, August 27 with headliner St. Vincent. More information can be found at twilightconcerts.com.
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