Nov.16, 2021––my first concert after the pandemic––I got to see the Kentucky boy himself, Jack Harlow.
To say it was a night to remember is an understatement.
I’ve been a Jack Harlow fan for years but never had the opportunity to see him perform live until this year. I remember when he announced the dates for his Creme de la Creme tour back in June, I promised myself that the next paycheck I got would be dedicated to buying his tickets. And that’s exactly what I did.
The concert evoked many emotions; I was excited, nervous and felt like I was going to throw up (in a good way, of course). I got to the venue at 11:30 am –– the doors opened at 7:30 pm. I knew I had to be there early because it was general admission and I wanted to ensure that I could be in the front row. For a good eight hours, I was waiting in the brisk Canadian weather. At some points, I couldn’t feel my fingers or feet.
The opening act was a band called The Homies, consisting of four members: Quiiso, Shloob, Ace Pro and 2forwOyNE. They are all members of Private Garden, a creative group Jack Harlow founded in high school. They were the perfect opening act; they brought a fun and energetic presence to the stage, and their dancing was the icing on top of the cake –- the whole crowd was vibing with them. They also mentioned that Toronto is a cool city to be in, which meant a lot to fans considering they were all from Louisville, Kentucky.
Ten to 15 minutes after the opening act, the venue suddenly became dark and a video of a girl speaking in French appeared on the screen. Screaming ensued as everyone knew Jack was about to come out, and soon enough, the instrumental version of “Tyler Herro” played as he suddenly appeared in the middle of the stage. The moment he opened his mouth, fans were belting out his lyrics. The energy in the venue was probably one of the most memorable I’ve ever experienced.
While he was performing, I felt like I was going to faint because of how crowded the venue was. Jack, however, stopped the show to give out water to fans, I being one of them. He even asked if I was okay, and if anything was going to make me pass out more – it was that. I responded casually and played it cool but I was screaming on the inside. I mean, my celebrity crush was staring into my eyes; It felt like I was the main character in a movie.
The last song he performed, one that was believed to have skyrocketed his career, was “What’s Poppin.” The performance was nothing short of spectacular. After the concert came to a close, he admitted that he always loved performing in Toronto. He also shouted out Drake, who was at the concert, calling him his “idol.” Drake is one of my favourite rappers, so to see the heartfelt interaction between the two was amazing.
I’ve gone to a few concert venues in the past but never one as small as Jack Harlow’s. I genuinely believe that smaller venues are superior to larger ones as it gives the performer the ability to grow closer to their fans (literally and figuratively). The intimacy was evident, and the way Jack interacted with his fans was something I feel artists lack today. Shoutout to Jack for making Creme de la Creme such a memorable show.