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Thursday, May 27, 2010
Live Reviews / setlist / News Live Review: Drake
Posted By Mike McCray on Thu, May 27, 2010 at 12:02 PM
Drake w/ Francis and the Lights
The Fillmore
May 24, 2010
The Deal: A strange mashing of hip hop and teenage angst pack out The Fillmore to see rap star Drake.
The Good: The opening act, Francis and the Lights, had a rough task ahead of them to win over of a crowd that was chanting, "Drake," and comprised mostly of radio rap fans and antsy teenage girls. Good thing he didn't leave his dancing shoes at home. For what they couldn't do to sway the crowd musically, Francis made up for by gyrating and working the stage like he'd channeled his inner-Prince. The oohs and aahs it generated were genuiene, even if they didn't like the songs.
It's ironic that the things that "endeared" Drake to me probably made most of his fans think he was an asshole. Whether it was him roasting one of his fans for a hastily made, notebook paper sign by asking her why she couldn't go to Walgreen's first and get some construction paper or one of those science project boards. Favorite quote, "I can't read that shit!" (in reference to her ink pen and notebook paper sign).
Nonetheless, Drizzy was getting old school, Bobby Brown-esque love from the women in the audience, whose bras and panties flew on the stage from further back than you'd believe. That was, before he brought a Puerto Rican woman on stage with an extremely porn-y ass claiming to be from Charlotte, but general consensus was she was a ringer. After prom slow dancing with her, kissing her neck and then turning her around to tongue her down from the front, then stopping to say, "Wait, how old are you?" and laughing. You could literally feel the hate from fuming women in the room.
New material went over well, but his radio hits sent some girls into a frenzy.
The Bad: Really wish he his more lyrical tracks went over better instead of being most people's cue to update their Facebook statuses. I know that Lil Wayne is responsible for a considerable chunk of Drake's success and trust me, I'm all for acknowledging the people who sign your checks (Did I tell you Creative Loafing was awesome?), but starting the "Free Weezy" and "Fuck NYPD" chants were overkill. For the first time last night, I completely understood the hate Drake gets for seeming unauthentic. There were moments that made me think to myself, "wait, haven't you been on TV since we were in HS?" and "C'mon Son, you're from Toronto!"
Anybody standing in the front left smelling like the person standing to their left and to their right, no way to escape leaving without someone else's essence in the sweatbox that entire section became. Tons of unnecessary screaming, he can't see you on the back row! When's curfew again?
The Verdict: The show had endless potential to be memorable but other than a sprinkling of moments, was run of the mill. It was good night out, not $47 a ticket, good. I hope the lights and noise didn't trick people into thinking the show was anymore than what it was, a Tuesday show before a day off he was probably dying for.
Drake setlist
Forever
Unstoppable Freestyle
Uptown
Lust for Life
Houstatlantavegas
November 18th
Fireworks
Good Enough
Money To Blow
Stay Fly (Big Tymers)
I'm Still Fly
I'm Goin In
Every Girl
Bedrock
Throw It In The Bag (Remix)
Slow Down
Successful
Say Something
I Invented Sex
Best I Ever Had
Over
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