Kid Cudi Brings ‘The Rebel Ragers Tour’ To Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater
Kid Cudi, along with his stacked list of Big Boi (of OutKast fame), Canadian DJ A-Trak, and Ohio’s Chip Tha Ripper, shook Acrisure Amphitheater’s vibes to the surface on a warm and sunny Wednesday Evening in Grand Rapids.
CHIP THA RIPPER
Chip Tha Ripper opened up the show to the fans rolling in for the show. It was still pretty toasty outside while the sun was still out. The Ohio Rapper worked through some of his best before clearing the stage for A-Trak.
A-TRAK
A-Trak got the crowd moving, mixing his slick DJing skills with some comparable tracks to set the mood. Songs that were included in the mix were Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d city,” Akon and David Guetta’s collaboration of “Sexy Bitch,” and more.
BIG BOI
I’ll admit… This isn’t the ideal situation to see Big Boi, without Andre 3000. Yet, we were able to take a moment and celebrate OutKast, who are now Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Kicking off the set, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown walked out to perform “ATLiens,” “Rosa Parks,” “So Fresh, So Clean,” and “Ms. Jackson.”
Touching on some of the best of the OutKast catalog, Sleepy Brown holds up the backup vox and stage presence so Big Boi can handle his hardcore verses. They ended the set with “B.O.B.,” “The Whole World,” and “The Way You Move,” as well as “Int’l Player’s Anthem.”
Before leaving the stage, while donning a button-up that depicts both himself and Andre 3000, Big Boi asked the crowd to wish 3Stacks a Happy Birthday in a video, which he planned on sending him later.
KID CUDI
KID CUDI DID NOT APPROVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE PERFORMANCE, AND PHONE PHOTOS WERE NOT CLEAR ENOUGH TO BE PUBLISHED.
Kid Cudi finally hit the stage, and if I explained to you what this set looked like, I still wouldn’t have had enough words, and it would sound weirder than it is. I’ll try for you, though.
There was a box on stage that had been masked by a curtain for the entire show, and it was completely made of video walls. A curved wall, similar to a curved gaming monitor, then surrounded this box of screens, creating a playground for Kid Cudi, who rocked out, completely alone in the box, with nothing but the crowd to guide him and the occasional cameraman that stepped into his space. There was even moments where mirrored images of Kudi were shown on the curved screens that made them look like they were 3D. I’m not sure if there’s some science there, but I think there might be. There was also a filter that was put over certain moments that either illustrated dust or fireflies.
Fans swayed on the lawn and in the new amphitheater seating while singing the lyrics to tracks like “The Prayer,” which samples “The Funeral” by Band Of Horses, and “Mr. Rager,” which got an elevated reception — something I was truly shocked by if I’m being honest. Despite the tour having the song reference in the title, when the song came out, I didn’t think it would become a staple in his catalog. Shows how much I know.
In total, Kid Cudi performed 30 songs in his set, split between two acts, and a 3-song encore, in which Chip Tha Ripper joins him on stage for “Hyyerr,” “Just What I Am,” and the KIDSSEEGHOSTS song “Reborn.” And we can’t forget “Pursuit of Happiness,” presented with the Steve Aoki remix.
The part I want to really drive home isn’t just the songs that were played or the tech that was used. It was the smile on Kid Cudi’s face. At moments, he paused and looked across the crowd, and the genuine grin that crossed his face looked like he couldn’t smile any wider. When you see an artist who actually cares about the fan reactions, putting on a stellar show, and gets actual joy themselves from seeing someone enjoy their body of work… That’s worth the price of admission alone. That’s what is great about Live Music.