Lil Wayne + Tyga Take Over Target Center
Beautiful blue skies and a light breeze, Wednesday weather was feeling quite perfect. A way to bump that perfect level up a few notches into a even more delightful Hump Day is going to a show. Tha Carter VI of course had to make a Minneapolis stop, giving MN fans summer sight of Lil Wayne (and my first hip hop show in a looooooong time.) Eye on the prize, made my way downtown to the Target Center for what I knew would be a memorable concert. Switched it up from my usual brewery, and hit up a bar for a change. Got a ice cold beer from O’Donnovan’s Pub which is right across the street from Target Center. Also got to spy the tour buses coming in while sipping my pint on the patio.
Atlanta rapper Belly Gang Kushington may have just released his debut album “The Streets Is Yours” on April 25th of THIS year, but there was a decent amount of anticipation for him. Sadly, he couldn't make it to open the show. No worries, plenty of people watching to be had before Tyga took the stage. Being an all-ages show, fair showing of youths mixing with millennials and up. Plenty of past Tha Carter tour shirts peppering the crowd. Not all green horns like me.
Compton, California born Tyga came out with a bang, the crowd had decently filled out and had fresh energy since the opener wasn't present. Wearing a rhinestone bedazzled “Tyga” black jacket, he took the stage only a bit late (30 minutes past.) Really dug the sexy lady devil silhouette displayed on the screen behind Tyga during the first part of the show. If you can’t have live dancers, a 50 foot tall version will do in a pinch. Not only playing his well known hit “Rack City” to the audience's delight, dropped a cover into the mix. A resounding roar came from everyone as "Get Low" (Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz cover) started. Of course, everyone no matter what age knew each word to spout back.
His set was short but sweet, Tyga was a well received delight.
Nola’s own Lil Wayne puts on a show. His DJ and drummer were on immense lifted risers flanking each size of the stage, which was emblazoned with an exposure of a New Orleans city and building facades. Slowly being lowered to the middle as Lil Wayne made his epic entrance. Coming out strumming with his guitar, dripping in white and red light which danced quite lovely amongst the smokey air and pyro. Sound was pretty decent on the floor as well as in the stands. The few decades of shows have not tarnished Lil Wayne’s vigor. As a photographer, I get the question about people filming and shooting with their cell phone photos. “Don’t you just hate it? Isn’t it annoying?” Simple answer is always no. Who am I to judge why someone wants to capture a moment? Whatever it takes to get a person looking at anything other than ye olde doomscroll is a plus. Maybe they are shooting it because it’s their first concert? Maybe they just wanna post kit to their IG story for the heck of it? Personally I try and keep it down to a small handful of vids or cell phone shots when I don’t have my cam. Yeah, it’s not professional printable work. But like those teens you may mock for “doin’ it for the gram,” but is a small bookmark I can go back and reminisce about months if not years from now. Blurry and pixelated in all it’s glory.
Second song in, huge plumes of fire popped off every so often to the music. Everyone on the floor was on there feet. Hard to resist with that much electricity. The stands were pretty busy. Some interesting behavior spied by myself and the other photographers. A few young kids looking freshly-ripened 21 years old were stunting pretty adorably. Not only posing their tall boy Bud Light cans with a cell phone lit photoshoot, but with a fan of Euros. Not the smartest thing to advertise, my guy. I know it’s cool in the music videos, but around thousands of people, not the smartest choice. Hope they had a swift and safe walk home, and with their show-and-tell stacks still filling their pockets. Made my way slowly back to my meter spot giggling about that to myself, soaking in the warm vibrating Minneapolis air.
