Eyes Wide Open
Peekaboo @ Fillmore/Minneapolis/MN/USA
Peekaboo’s Eyes Wide Open Tour with support from Tripp St. at the Fillmore was a night filled with electrifying performances and unexpected adventures. The journey to the concert started with a bang as we broke in Gorilla Pimp’s new car, a 2007 Dodge Charger, and jetted up to the cities. The ride in the new beast was surprisingly smooth, setting the tone for an epic night ahead.
Gorilla Pimp, always one step ahead, had already booked a room for us at the doubletree with a pool, just 5 miles from the venue. We made sure to pack our swim trunks, because who knows what kind of shenanigans we might get into after the concert. With excitement building, we made our way to the Fillmore in Minneapolis, ready for a night of music, laughter, and unforgettable moments.
Walking into the Fillmore is always an experience in itself. The walls are adorned with a giant beautiful mural, creating a vibrant and artistic atmosphere. The chandeliers hanging above seemed to have a mischievous air about them, as if they were ready to turn into a horror movie prop and crash down on the crowd if a band ever went hard enough. But hey, that's part of the thrill, right?
The night got off to a start with the first opener Wartro. Picture this: a slowed-down, masculine, and repetitive version of Rezz with a hip hop influence. It's like Rezz on a leisurely stroll, taking its time to deliver those beats. Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exactly my usual jam either. Near the end he did use a few crowd favorite samples and picked the energy up a bit. I would love to chat with him to find out how long he has been performing. He has a lot of good pieces and with some time to develop stage presence I could see him flourishing into a decent regional DJ. Who knows? Only time will tell! I did thoroughly enjoy the fact that the guy who came up and sat on the rail next to me leaned over and let me know Wartro was his best friend. I find something right when an artist is obviously a good enough friend/person that his homies show up to support him authentically.
On a side note I actually noticed my phone vibrate for an Amber Alert during end of Wartro’s set. Hope everything turns out ok there!
Next we were blessed by Wink taking the stage. An opener from the Bay Area, if I heard him right, that is for sure on our watchlist after tonight. He sampled multiple genres and kept the energy up transitioning from dance to head-banging drops and back seamlessly. His stage presence was phenomenal as well. Near the middle of his set if the lights kept up with his drop he would’ve given any of the big mainstream festival headliners a run for their money in that one moment. The audience took notice as well because for every stage move he made the audience answered back. The rail didn’t stop moving and you could feel the floor of the Fillmore vibrating the entire set from the audiences movements.
Next up was the tour support opener, Tripp St. Taking to the stage in a face mask. This anonymous producer and DJ seemed to materialize out of thin air in the scene, taking the electronic music world by storm at an alarmingly quick pace. With a plethora of original mixtapes, Tripp St. immediately commanded the attention of the crowd with his unique integration of deep freeform bass and apparent boom bap influences. Starting off with an OutKast song doesn’t hurt getting the crowd going either. I would agree however “this shit don’t stink”. His rendition of war pigs was definitely a crowd favorite as well.
Despite being a newcomer in terms of identity, Tripp St. is no stranger to the music industry. With an extensive background in hip hop production and studio engineering, he expertly plucks elements from genres he loves, creating a whole new range of sound. Paying homage to his roots, he proudly flaunts the name Tripp St., inspired by the street he grew up on. With collaborations with industry leader CloZee and a nationwide tour under his belt, Tripp St. is quickly becoming one of the most highly anticipated acts in dance music.
The crowd seemed to enjoy Tripp St. and Wink about the same from the reactions I saw. Personally I would say technically speaking as far as musical transition and progression Tripp St. was probably a bit more experienced from what I took in from the performances. Wink commanded the audiences attention and had just as good of stage presence. I would say as of now the Line up was perfect for who went when. Give Wink a couple more years of experience though and he might give Tripp St. a run for his opener spot.
And then it was time for the headliner, the production value immediately stepped up as several new lights blasted on to announce Peekaboo, to take the stage. Matthew Austin Lucas, better known by his alias Peekaboo, is an American dubstep producer who has made a name for himself with his unique style of dubstep, also known as freeform bass and space bass. His music is a perfect blend of heavy basslines and eerie sonics, creating an otherworldly experience for the audience. The only downside to Peekaboo’s set this night was as we patiently waited for one his biggest songs we only got a tiny small sample of it at the end of the set. Gorilla Pimp patiently waited all night for about 20 seconds of the song he wanted.
Born into a musical family, with his dad being a professional trumpet player, Peekaboo found inspiration in the song "Kill Everybody" by Skrillex while he was still in high school. He began producing a variety of genres before finding his niche in dubstep. Incorporating horror elements into his music, Peekaboo creates a spine-chilling atmosphere that is both captivating and exhilarating.
Since his debut, Peekaboo has gained recognition and success in the music industry. His sixth extended play, "Wrecking Ball," debuted at #10 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart in early 2019. With his talent and unique style, Peekaboo has solidified himself as one of the most exciting artists in the bass music scene.
The concert was a wild ride from start to finish. A personal highlight of the night was crowd members grabbing me and remembering me from past shows and festivals. One was even wearing a pair of harem pants I sold him from Electric Summer. The crowd was electrified, dancing and losing themselves in the music. The combination of Tripp St.'s deep bass and boom bap influences, followed by Peekaboo's heavy dubstep beats, created an atmosphere that was impossible to resist. The energy in the room was palpable, and everyone was swept away by the music.
SIMshows put on another fantastic performance! One small observation about the production: while the idea of constructing a stage in front of the main one and utilizing the taller stage to elevate the lights was clever and added a multi-level dynamic to the show, the floor lights, particularly, made being on the rail quite uncomfortable once Peekaboo took the stage. When those lights hit your face, it was blinding and left you temporarily blinded for a few minutes. I admit to do this on the stage would have required elevating a lot more lights manually and added time and cost to the show. It could be done and would increase the audiences experience.
As the night came to an end, we couldn't help but feel a mix of exhaustion and euphoria. The Peekaboo’s Eyes Wide Open Tour was an unforgettable experience that left us craving for more. The combination of talented artists, the vibrant atmosphere of the Fillmore, and the unexpected adventures along the way made it a night to remember. We can't wait for the next concert, where we'll undoubtedly create more memories and stories to tell.
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LOL the 90’s Green Day outfit does look like a spiderman. 😂