Andrew Veeder on November 17th, 2014

1

It was appropriate that on the breeziest Los Angeles evening in ages, as gusts that bombarded the patrons in line outside, that the Windy City’s Chance the Rapper headlined the sold-out House of Blues Sunset on Saturday night as part of Red Bull’s 30 Days In LA series, and had the house in the palm of his hand.

Backed by his band The Social Experiment, his music soared to new heights, as the drummer, dueling keyboardists and trumpeter transformed tracks from his 2013
mixtape “Acid Rap” into a larger and more vibrant sound. It was one of the most overwhelmingly positive rap shows in memory, lively and full of good vibes from the band, the crowd and Chance himself, who ping-ponged around the stage with confidence and poise, and had more of a playful attitude that would never lead a “F*ck the police!” chant.

He began with “Everybody’s Something” and by the next song “Pusha Man,” the sunken floor of the venue looked like a choppy sea of whitecap hands from everyone dancing around. In addition to “Acid Rap’s” “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” “Favorite Song,” “Juice” and title track, he performed the new song “Wonderful Everyday,” as well as “Paradise,” which he introduced by asking the audience to “pretend it’s already out.” Following this, he brought Big Sean out to perform his new song “I Don’t F*ck With You,” and later ended with the fitting closer, “Everything’s Good.”

Brainfeeder rapper Azizi Gibson followed opener Kamandi, and did lead a “F*ck the police!” call-and-response.

Photos by Misha Vladimirskiy via Red Bull Sound Select