Brockhampton is a band formed in San Marcos, Texas, and are now based in California. They have released one mixtape, All-American Trash, alongside three albums, Saturation, Saturation II, and Saturation III. All of their albums were released in the span of seven months, and they have quickly gained attention and a very loyal fanbase. I recently attended the Boston show of their Love Your Parents tour.
Photo credit: Saturation III Album Cover, Brockhampton
Let me set the stage for you. February 5th, 2018, 24 degrees, outside the House of Blues Boston. People have been lined up since 11 am, and my friend Abby has been waiting since noon. We’re the fourth group in line and FREEZING. Doors open at seven pm, and by six, the line is about a ¼ mile long. As soon as the doors open, my friends and I run to the barricade, eager to get as close as possible to Brockhampton.
Photo Credit: Brockhampton
As I’m pressed against the barricade, I am surrounded by blue face paint and orange jumpsuits—the classic outfit worn by the band. At around 8:30 pm, the lights go off, and all I can hear is cheering from the audience. One of the members, Ameer Vann, comes out wearing a jumpsuit and respiration mask. The opening notes of “BOOGIE,” an eccentric, fast-paced bop from Saturation III begin to blast through the speakers, and Matt Champion, Kevin Abstract, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, and Russell “Joba” Boring appear on stage.
Photo Credit: Ameer Vann & Matt Champion, Brockhampton
“BOOGIE,” “QUEER,” “STAR,” and “GUMMY” were the first four songs performed, and the songs that I was in the mosh pit for. As soon as “BOOGIE” started, the pit was insane. I, being 5’4”, knew that I couldn’t stay at the barricade the whole time or I would have been crushed. The overwhelming sense of adrenaline and excitement is what kept me going through these songs, and the experience is one that I will never forget.
Photo Credit: Sophie Singer-Santoro
For the rest of the concert, I listened from the side of the venue. Close enough to dance, far enough away that I could breathe. By the end of the show, everyone I went with, besides my friend Cam Surman, was out of the pit. When I asked him how it felt to be up front for the whole show, he said: “Being in the pit was intense, having so many people right up against you. The pressure moved in waves, left and right, forwards and backward, and every time a new song came on I thought I was going to be crushed. Brockhampton, especially Kevin Abstract, know how to work the crowd and keep the energy high throughout the show.”
The whole show was amazing, and nothing like I expected. I knew it would be wild, and that there would be a pit, but it was so much more extreme than I could have imagined. Sloane Miller, another friend of mine who also left the pit early said: “Seeing Brockhampton live was fantastic from all angles; in the pit with tons of people or on the sides where you can dance and really get a good look at their performance. Overall the show was insane and absolutely worth the hours spent waiting in the cold.”
Brockhampton is an incredible group, and they possess the best stage presence out of any band I have seen live. Some of my personal favorite songs are “STAR,” “JOHNNY,” “RENTAL,” and “BLEACH,” but I recommend every single one of their songs. If you have the opportunity, splurging on a ticket to their tour is 100% worth it.
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