Staff Editor on November 16th, 2015

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By Amorn Bholsangngam

“We missed Willow Smith!” a pair of tie-dye-clad teenagers lamented while running towards the bass, towards the lights and toward the carnival rides.

The lack of cynicism hurled towards the precocious spawn of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, the young lady behind 2011’s earworm “Whip My Hair,” was an indication of the wide-eyed youthfulness of the audience at the 4th Annual Camp Flog Gnaw on Saturday at the Park at the L.A. Coliseum.

||| Photos by David Benjamin [another gallery below]

Having waited nearly an hour and inhaled what must have been a half-kilo of dust in line to enter the Odd Future-curated concert/carnival, one couldn’t help but eavesdrop on conversations. For some, it was their first concert (and subsequently their very first time using substances); others were celebrating their 18th birthday, proudly smoking their first legal cigarettes without having to look over their shoulders. They only had words for the artists on the bill they loved, no complaints recalling the hip-hop equivalent of the Comic Book Guy. A refreshing, genuine enthusiasm — free of the snark and weariness of folks like me whose creaky bones have endured too many unruly festival crowds, halfhearted performances and filthy Port-a-Potties — permeated the crowd. These kids were eager, and each of the performances fed off of this excitement.

All that energy culminated for the performances from the headliners, de facto Odd Future leader Tyler, the Creator and hip-hop elder statesmen Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound. The crowd turned up in droves.

Tyler, the Creator’s idiosyncratic brand of menacing, discordant hip-hop had the raucous crowd moshing moments into his set. By the time Tyler was joined by Pharrell for the explosive “Tamale,” it was clear how he had cultivated the legion of believers before him; his intense showmanship could convince even the most casual of listeners that they were witnessing something big.

And while Snoop’s inclusion seemed to function as the bone thrown to the (relatively) older folks in attendance, the young crowd’s frenzied reaction to classics like “Gin & Juice” and “Ain’t No Fun” confirmed the timelessness of the LBC rapper’s catalog. The countless array of hits were so deeply set in the pop culture lexicon that they were impossible for anyone of any age to ignore and served as an education on how to send tens of thousands of festival-goers home feeling like they got their money’s worth. It would wrap up appropriately enough, with Snoop serenading Tyler with a rendition of “Young, Wild, & Free,” toasting to the exuberance of young people and schooling them in exactly how it’s done.

Earlier, there were plenty of highlights.

At the Flog Stage on the festival’s lawn, Low End Theory brought their sub-rattling, ethereal beats to the daylight. Gaslamp Killer presided over the set representing the weekly beat-centric music night, while Low End residents Daddy Kev and D-Styles spun a selection of beats that instantly transported the afternoon crowd to dark confines of the Airliner. Later, Flying Lotus, who had been tapped at the last minute to fill in for the previously scheduled Flosstradamus and repeatedly poked fun at the abrupt nature of his appearance, unleashed his rapping Captain Murphy alter-ego for a few songs to go with his signature post-apocalyptic mélange of beats.

The much-speculated Odd Future reunion, having been billed simply as “OFWGKTA” on the show’s initial poster, did not quite happen as expected; Odd Future members Mike G, Domo Genesis, Left Brain and Hodgy Beats took turns on the mic in a series of short solo sets, the latter tossing a few barbs Tyler’s way.

Across the field at the enormous Camp Stage, Long Beach rapper Vince Staples performed an unannounced set, beckoning the crowd to get crazy during his eerie yet bouncy single “Senorita” and calling out those who weren’t by dress.

The Internet’s slick jazz-fusion-R&B sound, perhaps the first performance of the day featuring a live band, was perfect set against the backdrop of the L.A. sunset. Frontwoman Syd tha Kid displayed her impressive, warm vocal chops during a series of slow jams, as well as her considerable stage presence as she led the crowd to sing along, “You fucked up!” during the smooth kiss-off “Just Sayin’.”

YG brought his arsenal of DJ Mustard-helmed hits to the main stage, including “My Nigga” and “Who Do You Love?” The density of crowd-pleasing singles in his set was a surefire way to make sure the crowd wasn’t dozing off at the halfway point of the festival, as was YG’s own colorful banter. At one point, after asking who was at least 18 years old (you know, out of respect for decency and the law), he implored, “I want to see some titties!”

The Gnaw Stage, set inside the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, hosted both a skate park for a pro-skater exhibition along with a full roster of performers. Danny Brown filled the arena with arena-sized sounds, his aggressive, syncopated rapping cutting through the gigantic bass and skittering hi-hats. While a decent quotient of the audience had filed in looking for refuge from the cold and a place to sit in the balcony, Brown’s irrepressible energy kept them indoors through his Kanye-referencing closer “Dip.”

Camp Flog Gnaw, Nov. 14, 2015. Photo by David Benjamin