On Wednesday, January 24, American boy band Brockhampton brought pure hype out of fans for the Atlanta stop of the “Love Your Parents” tour. People trickled from everywhere to reach the line that curved around the Buckhead Theatre. Fans spilled from out of cars, across the street and restaurants in the area. The people were practically bouncing with each step they took to get in line, taking in the bright red sign that read “Love Your Parents.”
The line moved quickly as soon as the doors opened at 7:00 p.m. Going through security was like most other concerts I’ve attended. I threw away my water bottle because of the “No outside drink” policy, while others asked where the smoking section was since neither cigarettes, vapes nor blunts were allowed in the venue. As they blasted through the doors, concert goers either made their way toward the main floor where the stage was, or toward the line for merch — a line so long it was difficult to tell if it actually ended somewhere. I figured finding the best spot to see the band was worth more than trying to get a shirt.
People barely filled the balcony. Those who decided to stand up there would miss out on the up-close interactions with band members and all of the antics that would ensue on the ground level.
Showtime was 8:00 p.m., but showtime came and went and there was no opening act. As the tightly-packed room waited for the show to start, the speakers blasted songs like Eminem’s “Superman” and “Last Christmas” by Wham! As each song from the queued-up playlist ended, the crowd would burst into screams and applause, but nothing would happen. The burgundy curtains didn’t budge, the music that was playing didn’t lower in volume, and the purple lights that weren’t fully illuminating the room didn’t falter entirely.
About 35 minutes passed before Brockhampton finally made it on stage. All that can be seen was an almost completely darkened room with one of the members wearing a head lamp and a face mask. There was a mysterious air as fog built up on the stage. Then, intense white lights were brought up as the figure, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, removed his accessories and revealed his hardened face.
It was Ameer Vann, the band member who can be seen on each album of the “Saturation” trilogy. He was soon surrounded by the rest of the guys in the band. All of the members brought electrifying energy as soon as the beat for “Boogie” dropped. Finding myself in the front was overwhelming to the point where I was practically dancing and jumping my way to the back, still making sure I’d be able to get a decent view of the band. I was able to enjoy more of the moment being separated from the overpowering heat that came from so many people compressed together.
After the song finished, Kevin Abstract immediately thanked Atlanta for giving the concert a great start. The energy didn’t fall from there, though. If anything, it just kept building. This includes the band performing “Star” and making sure a mosh pit opened up. In the six times the song was performed, the fifth time had mosh pits that formed on both sides of the audience.
One of the greatest things I loved about this show was how much the audience was into the entire thing. Every time the lights would shine down on the people around me, I would catch them singing their hearts out along to the songs. Even with the minimal space, everyone was jumping around, dancing as wildly as they wanted. It seemed that Brockhampton and the audience were in agreement of just how hype to be for the night. The connection the band established with the crowd was something different from many of the concerts I’ve been to. The band kept everyone locked in for each song, letting the crowd sing the chorus for “Queer” and telling the fans to forget about everything and completely lose it whenever they heard a beat drop, Brockhampton kept the crowd hype. Between the flashing lights and bass that felt like the wind was being knocked out of me, there was an exhilaration that overpowered the room. It was absolutely amazing.
I had high expectations for this show and Brockhampton’s performance went beyond them. I was astounded from all of the things they did on stage, like Matt and Merlyn hopping onto the speakers while rapping their verses or throwing in ad-libs, and how the entire band didn’t need their tracks with all of their vocals on it that would just drown out the live presence. The stamina these dudes had was unlike any other that I’ve seen at any concert. This is a unique band that brings something different to the table for music. They fused rock with rap, all while successfully making pop songs with catchy hooks. After all of the nights of shouting the lyrics to all of their songs for the past few months, I was able to see the self-proclaimed “best boy band since One Direction” in the flesh. Every minute I spent in the Buckhead Theatre watching Brockhampton was worth the $50 I spent for a ticket.
Melina Skeete, 17, is a senior at DeKalb School of the Arts who would stand in the cold to meet a couple of boy band members.
Photos by Brian Kinnes for Brockhampton
