I’ve seen everyone from One Direction to New Kids on the Block to 5 Seconds of Summer to the Jonas Brothers. With that being said, I’d consider myself a boy band expert. But even this “boy band expert” wasn’t prepared to experience Brockhampton live.
Brockhampton is a self-described musical group that originally formed in Texas. It’s safe to say they are redefining what exactly it means to be an American boy band. And it seems to be working for them as this is their third time performing in New Orleans since the beginning of 2018. They stopped at the House of Blues in January 2018 with their Love Your Parents Tour then brought their I’ll Be There Tour to the Orpheum in October of the same year. They returned to the Big Easy with on Sunday for their Heaven Belongs to You Tour and here’s what you missed.
The Crowd
Typically, the crowd you would expect to see at a boy band’s concert would be teenage and pre-teen girls, and maybe a few adults who are chaperoning. The crowd instead looked like the people I’d expect to see at Camp Flog Gnaw boo-ing because they got Drake instead of Frank Ocean.
Throughout the night fans waved pink lightsabers, blew up balloons to bounce around during the show, and jumped along to just about every single track. Also, I lost count of how many times they opened up the crowd for a mosh pit during the band’s set.
Not Your Typical Boy Band
The show opened up with Rihanna’s “Stay” playing before it transitioned into their song, “ST. PERCY.” One by one the members of Brockhampton walked out onto the stage wearing their signature orange jumpsuits while performing their various verses. Above them hung three mirrored crosses, totally on brand with the tour’s name.
During the middle of their hour-and-a-half-long set, cryogenic equipment produced fog and smoke effects that accentuated their performance. A little bit of confetti fell down throughout the night but it was such small amounts that it didn’t seem intentional. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was falling because the crowd had the room rocking and shaking so much with their jumping! Mistake or not, the little bits of confetti were a nice extra touch to the show.
Throughout the night, each member had the chance to showcase their skills whether it was singing or rapping. Brockhampton is not your stereotypical “boy band” but the little inserts of synchronized dance moves, matching outfits, and extra screams from fans for their favorite band members quickly remind you they are. And unlike most boy bands who sing about love and girls, Brockhampton tackles topics like race and sexuality with their music.
Midway through the show, a red couch was brought onto the stage as they performed “LOVE ME FOR LIFE” along with a couple of their 2017 tracks “GUMMY” and “QUEER.” Despite the couch being added on the stage and some members taking turns sitting on it, the enthusiasm and hype didn’t let up during the show.
My Review
If I saw any of the members of the band on the street, would I recognize them? Probably not. Is Brockhampton the best boy band ever? Not yet. But these guys do know how to put on a show (even if they looked like Holes characters while doing it). They are without a doubt redefining the term “boy band” and fully being themselves while doing it.
My favorite part was not only did the group itself have undeniable energy the entire night as they performed but also how the crowd matched it! Plus, they got extra points in my book on Sunday for performing their track, “NEW ORLEANS” at the end of the night. I mean, it’s only right to play the track in the city it’s named after.
If you missed Brockhampton’s stop in New Orleans or just want to re-live the night, you can watch clips of their performance on my Brockhampton Instagram highlight!
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