“Thank you for braving the cold to be here,” Rich Brian says to a crowd neglecting to stop by coat check. “Really, I can’t believe it. Thank you, Philly.”
Last summer, Rich Brian released Where Is My Head, his first album release since 2019’s The Sailor. Taking the new songs on tour, all across the US seemed more than necessary, as the Rich Brian drought would be no longer. Fans across the tri-state area stepped out into below-freezing temps to stand outside in huddles for a front row spot to see the musician for the first time in a long time.
The first song of the night mimics his most recent album’s track list; “Senja” got the already anticipatory crowd on their feet. Explosive and moody, the background was full of security cameras and sirens lights, circling and adding a dimension of mystery to the explosive performance. Shedding light on some of his most viral songs, “Tokyo Drift Freestyle” and “Who That Be” followed suit. Before getting back into more tracks from the album, Brian paused to let his fans know that he was battling a nasty cold, that he got an IV drip earlier and return, he said the least the crowd could do was put up their phone flashlights and wave them.
“Gospel” drenched the front row and detonated into chaos, the bass shaking the floor as bodies verged into moshing territory. “Oh Well” kept the crowd singing, before Rich Brian downshifted into his tongue-in-cheek “Rich Brian Tiny Desk Concert,” trading the bass for stripped-back acoustic cuts alongside his keyboardist.
Fan favorites “Drive Safe,” “History,” “Glow Like Dat” picked the tempo back up. He shared that due to visa complications, he missed life events back home in Indonesia, resulting in a melancholic and deeply personal track, known as “Ma”. Brian’s most streamed song to date came next, followed by a brief exit that the crowd was unwilling to accept. The encore included the iconic 2016 song “Dat Stick” and a surprise song along with Rich Brian’s verse in “Midsummer Madness.” Fittingly, “Jelly Air Island” closed the night, mirroring the final track of Where Is My Head and bringing the set to a deliberate full circle.
You can listen to Where Is My Head here and find more dates to see Rich Brian here!
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