"The house I stayed at last night had a lot of dog fur," Tyler says, only seconds after finishing the crowd-pleasing, moshpit-forming track "CORSO" off of his latest album, 2021's CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. He's winded, sweat pooling around his eyelids that he wipes off with a hand accented by Robin's egg blue fingernails -- his own line of Golf Le Fleur polish. "So my asthma is acting up. Y'all have probably heard my gasping for breath so far."
It's only the third song of the night, but he looks like he's been playing for an hour straight. That being said, Tyler, the Creator's energy overshadows any personal ailments or short-comings of the entire tour. He's an unstoppable machine, musically and performance-wise, even with "1% lung capacity" as he put it.
It's an enthusiasm that can be felt across his entire set; even during slower songs like "Boredom" off of his 2017 album, Flower Boy, lyrics were underscored by bursts of energy, which was instantly matched by the Sunday night crowd in Columbus.
The same could not be said for opening acts like Vince Staples, who bounced back and forth in a couple strategic spots on Tyler's "B stage", accompanied by sporadic and nauseatingly flashing lights.
"ARE YOU WITH THAT?" off of Vince's latest album.
Many criticized Staples for an apathetic, monotone delivery across his latest, self-titled album in 2021, and I defended him to the teeth. In terms of content, it is his most self-reflective album and my favorite of his discography. However, for an arena tour, songs like "Norf Norf" and "745", off of Summertime '06 and Big Fish Theory respectively, made for an exciting and energetic five minutes of a 40 minute set. It's easy to imagine that the issues with Vince's set (highlighted by some technical issues that would persist into Kali Uchis' set) would be absent in a smaller, intimate venue.
Speaking of the Latinx darling, Kali Uchis has proven on the CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST Tour that she has arrived far past stardom and is a full-blown pop sensation. Spurned along by the popularity of her 2020 single, "Telepatia", Kali seemed like the real reason the crowd had anxiously settled into the evening. Ten minutes away from coming on stage, the pit and nosebleeds alike chanted her name in growing anticipation.
Kali commands the stage with the bravado of late popstar Selena, confident in the growing number of fans across the world. She and Rosalía are creating the most interesting and revolutionary music on the Latinx scene.
We're going to ignore the tour's rookie, Teezo Touchdown -- not just because I missed his set, but, well... go look his music up for yourself if you dare. He is neither interesting nor revolutionary, and I believe he was brought on tour solely because of his aesthetic.
It was clear that Tyler had carefully handpicked who he would share the stage with, not just as a matter of convenience: he and Kali have two songs together yet didn't bring the other out for a cameo. Go figure.
Regardless, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST has been a career highlight for Tyler -- his second #1 album in a row and widely praised at its debut and on year-end lists, his popularity has grown past the cringey shock-value of his older music into a fully-formed producer and well-respected musician. If Tyler and co. are stopping near your city, do two things: 1. buy tickets, and 2. make sure you lint roll your sweater if you're in the pit. Tyler's lungs need a break.
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Have you ever heard of Teezo Touchdown? Did you listen to his music on your own? Did you hate yourself for doing so? Let us know how much in the comments below!
- Ritter
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