beabadoobee, BLACKSTARKIDS and Christian Leave Concert Review
Photo Credit: Tessa Byrns
GENZ Supremacy Comes to Colorado
To mark the start of the holiday season on December 1st at the Summit Music Hall, in the know Coloradoans were gifted the ultimate Gen Z experience with a show from BLACKSTARKIDS and Beabadoobee.
The young crowd packed the intimate obscure venue to brim. The patrons came decked out in their finest garb – the recycled 90s trends that we’ve come to see more often now – bucket hats, chokers, platform boots and sneakers galore.
The opening act, BLACKSTARKIDS made up of TyFaizon, TheBabeGabe and Deiondre, came to party and showed the crowd why they will be headlining their own tour soon enough.
BLACKSTARKIDS music is the epitome of the Gen Z archetypal band – integrating 1990s and early 2000s musical tropes with energetic pop and hip hop with lyrics about boredom, depression, and hopeless love. The names of their songs also mine the nostalgia that Gen Z and Millennials are plagued by – Jimmy Neutron, Fight Club, and Frankie Muniz are just a few examples of the irreverence that BLACKSTARKIDS exhibit.
Their set started with ‘Acting Normal’, implementing an electronica melody with a drum beat and rapped lyrics.
“I think I went to work for the last time today, I could try my luck at school but I’m to say that I’m done living for you, I’m gonna find my way, you say I’m a screw up, I’m a basketcase.”
The crowd was adequately riled up throughout the show – jumping up and down and screaming. TyFaizon, TheBabeGabe and Deiondre sharing vocals can be likened to a new generation’s Fugees but their beats make them a complete original.
‘Love Stargirl’ is a hype anthem with TheBabeGabe taking the first verse.
“I ain’t felt this good in a minute, I’m really just out here minding my damn business, and my fit is the fittest, I take off in the Mustang, you know them windows tinted and I’m riding around topless, I might just be a slut the way I’m car hopping, you can never hold down a real bitch.”
The next band, Christian Leave is a run-of-the-mill, all white male rock band and not really an adequate middle man between such unique acts like BLACKSTARKIDS and Beabadoobee. The hyped crowd tried hard to stay awake for Bea during Christian Leave’s set but it was an uphill battle that Bea and the crowd dealt with.
Beabadoobee’s set was energetic while she ran through hits from her debut album, ‘Fake it Flowers’ and her older songs such as ‘Sun More Often’, ‘Tired’ and ‘Coffee’. Most of the set, Bea played guitar though on the most recent releases, ‘He Gets Me So High’, ‘Last Day on Earth’, and encore ‘Cologne’ which was the impetus for a much needed most pit, she ran around the stage and held the mic out for the crowd to sing along.
The best surprise was an alternate heavier version of ‘Back to Mars’, a once melancholy acoustic deepcut from ‘Fake it Flowers’. It was a welcome change of pace for the song, the energy was much needed.
Bea and the band also played crowd favourite ‘She Plays Bass’. Bea and bassist, Eliana Sewell, playfully played off of each other while the crowd danced and sang along.
“Hey won’t you call me back, cause I’ve been waiting for a text back, it hurts my brain, this chick who plays bass, nothing matters because we’re both in space, pretty sure we could never date.”
Bea’s slower, more melancholy songs like ‘Disappear’ were a treat for the audience, a chance to catch their breath if not cry on the dancefloor.
“Kiss me on my neck, tell me all your fears, cause the rush of love is gone and I’m trying to find out why it disappeared, yeah that shit’s disappeared.”
Beabadoobee and BLACKSTARKIDS are continuing their tour throughout the US until the end of the year.
Beabadoobee will then be taking over the festival circuit across Europe mid next year.
by Tessa Byrns (Staff Music Writer)
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