Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer G-Eazy made a triumphant return to Raleigh, North Carolina, as part of his "Freak Show" World Tour. The concert, which took place at The Ritz, was the first time the artist had toured through the Raleigh area in six years to promote his latest album of the same name, Freak Show.
G-Eazy, real name Gerald Earl Gillum, launched his career in 2006 and began to achieve mainstream success with the release of his first major label record, These Things Happen. Since then, with the release of four more full-length records and multiple EPs, G-Eazy has become a household name in hip-hop and the music industry as a collective.
Joining Gillum as opening acts for the Raleigh tour date, was fellow rapper .idk. and Canadian singer/songwriter Goody Grace who kicked off the evening. The lights dimmed, and Grace walked out to a cheering crowd with his acoustic guitar in hand. For a short, but captivating 20 minutes, Goody Grace gave an attention-grabbing solo performance. The audience sang along to almost every word and by the time Grace was walking off stage it was clear they were ready for more.
Enter British-American rapper .idk., real name Jason Mills. The energy was already at a noticeable high in the venue and increased even more upon his entrance to the stage. Not a single person was standing still during Mills' performance. A highlight was towards the end when .idk. took a seat and performed an incredible rendition of the Arctic Monkeys hit song, "Do I Wanna Know?" which had the crowd singing every word at the top of their lungs.
Shortly after .idk. had left the stage and a quick changeover took place, the time had finally come for G-Eazy to perform and the anticipation from the audience could be felt in the air. Right on cue, the lights blacked out and Eazy's live band walked onto stage. Once at their instruments, the band began to play and the lights began to strobe bright white throughout the venue. Then the words, "Raleigh are you ready!?" echoed from the speakers and the crowd became the loudest they had been all night. Haze shot from the floor of the stage and through the smokescreen, G-Eazy made his entrance and it became clear that this performance was going to be one of the best.
What followed was a perfectly curated set of songs from almost every album in his catalog and the audience loved every minute of it. Everyone in attendance, from the barricade to the balcony was dancing and screaming every note. In addition, it was clear that Gillum himself was feeling the energy and was thrilled to be back on tour in Raleigh after such a long time off the road. Throughout the performance, he expertly commanded the crowd, keeping everyone engaged with the music and everything happening on stage and repeatedly thanking them for being there and supporting him. At one point, roaring applause erupted as he made a promise that he "would not take as long to visit Raleigh again after tonight and that he'd be back before they know it."
A final thought: this will go down as a top-tier concert that I have attended in recent years and it comes down to feeling the positive energy, not only coming from the audience but also G-Eazy. He is an artist who seems to genuinely care about his fans and truly enjoys giving them an unforgettable performance. Make sure to take a look at the remaining dates of the "Freak Show" World Tour and find the one nearest you!
Follow G-Eazy: Instagram
Follow .idk.: Instagram
Follow Goody Grace: Instagram
