This past week, I was able to see Chance the Rapper live at the Fox theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Unlike any artist I've seen live before, his concert was filled with tears, laughter and of course singing. From beginning to end, I was impressed with how he kept his audience engaged with every song and only relying on himself, his incredible band, and an interesting story involving a puppet named Carlos.
Chance opened Magnficent Coloring World Tour with "Angels" getting the crowd fully energized before leading into "Blessings." Only five minutes into the 90-minute show and everyone was already on their feet dancing. After this moment, no one would sit down again. Chance would then devote a section of his concert to some of his older music, from earlier mixtapes Acid Rap and 10 Day .
At this moment, the crowd is introduced to a puppet named Carlos who would provide endless entertainment throughout the concert. Interrupting Chance and giving lectures on how he should focus on his newer, more inspirational music, the character will have won the audiences heart by the end of the night. "Don't forget the message, big fella." became a critical line in the concert.
And after performing "Same Drugs" on the piano next to a female puppet, the message became clear to the audience. Performing his verse on "Ultralight Beam", faith became a big part of the concert. Chance performed every song from his latest mixtape Coloring Book, but it was his gospel styles songs, such as "How Great" (How Great is our God" and "Finish Line/Drown" that were truly showstopping.
The message was revealed near the end of the concert halfway through "Blessings (Reprise)". The rapper warned the crowd that " You won't find your blessings on my mixtapes or at my shows." and that "Your blessings aren't made out of flesh, but they are coming."
His encore was his hit "Summer Friends" and "Friends" which he performed with the writer and his opening act Francis and the Lights.