Chance the Rapper @ The Riviera Theatre November 29th, 2013

I cannot even remember the last time I went to an "all ages" show. I suppose Lollapalooza is technically all ages, but music festivals are very different from evening shows in Chicago. To my surprise, the youngsters were on their best behavior for Chance the Rapper at one of his last performances on his Social Experiment Tour. I even saw someone who looked to be well over 21 years old pass out behind me. In short, never judge a show by its type of age restriction. This show was also an opportunity in which I had the honor of taking my younger cousin to. It was his very first show, and for just fifteen years old, he is very mature for his age. I hope, for him, this show was the first of many to come.

chanceraps.com

Chance demonstrated his unique style of rapping and performed many songs off of his latest mix tape, Acid Rap, which he digitally released on datpiff.com for free this past April. Typically, I get quite bored at rap shows because of the usual lack of live music. However, the addition of a full backing band enhanced the performance tremendously. The horn section blew me away (no pun intended), and the music, as a whole, felt so much more three dimensional than a prerecorded track in the background. His family was seated in the right side balcony, and seemed to be proudly enjoying the second homecoming show.

If anyone had, in fact, taken some acid for this show, they would probably have been absolutely stunned by the graphics on the screen behind the stage. From psychedelic, rainbow fractals to hilarious Internet memes of Bill Cosby, the imagery was incredibly entertaining. The visual stimulation was not just limited to the screen, however. Multi-colored streamers, jets of smoke, and strobe lights added to the experience, or should I say experiment, at the Riviera that night. My only complaint of the night was the poor visibility of the stage. I found it very difficult to get a view of the performers because of the sheer amount of people at the show, which was completely sold out.

Chance the Rapper and his band were paired with visual graphics and effects.

Chance's gratefulness for his support and his fantastic start to a career was completely genuine, as he thanked everyone at the end of his set. After all, he was in his hometown, performing for a crowd who likely supports him the most. It was a night that was truly special to have been a part of.

Until next time,
Sam