From 10 Day to 10 years of The Coloring Book, the transfirguration of a Chicago-bred church boy illuminated the summer stage of Jersey Shore staple, The Stony Pony.
For Chance The Rapper, the past 15 years saw coming-of-age stories sprawled atop a lyrical spectrum and the eventual explosion of a Grammy-winning mixtape to which his anniversary tour steals its name. Now at 33, Chance The Rapper hosts a celebration of the love with and from fans along The Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour. Concert dates span from August to October all around the United States and Canada. That’s 37 chances—no pun intended, no but really—to see the hip hop artist perform.
And it was in Asbury Park, New Jersey where The Knockturnal found Chano in a sea of “3” hats and humidity only the Atlantic could bring on a hot August day. Crowds curved around The Stone Pony, with degrees in the 80s. They felt it.
Chance felt it, by the sweat of his pre-show aura. Hours to showtime, Chance’s demeanor was calm. He smiled wide—polite, tall, giddy, casual. By then, the also-grinning opener La Reezy had finished his sound check. So the open-air venue was quiet and near-empty. Chance appeared to be in a state of equanimity, gazing around. He donned a tan Changing Brothers Mentality hat over twists. It was the same hat he’d later wear on stage. It was the same hat he’d later praise dance in, galavant, bop and jive.
Just before 6 p.m., the gates of the Stone Pony opened. The text on one fan’s T-shirt clung on for dear life as he entered. It was an original concert tee from Chance The Rapper’s 2016 Coloring Book tour. Now crusted and peeling off from much wear, it was the uniform of a man enthusiastically weaving and bobbing toward the front of the venue. The last Chance concert set for New Jersey was cancelled in 2019. He had not held a concert in the Garden State within at least the last 14 years. He later admitted on stage that it had been a while.
Swarms of fans took their place in the venue’s asphalt lot. Bartenders served their concoctions made from matcha, vodka, and/or beer. Attendants of the merchandise hut cracked jokes to eager buyers of fluorescent pink “3” hats and red-orange tour shirts to pass the time. The line stretched from the back of The Stone Pony to the stage where the last of the queue had a front-row view of the opening act.
La Reezy is just a few years short of the same age Chano released The Coloring Book. He released his latest project Skiddle Bandana in July 2026. He took the stage—his music with the medleys and inflections of his 12th Ward New Orleans upbringing. Hands went up. “Asbury, are you feeling good out there?” Woooooo! “Asbury, I said, ‘Are you feeling good out there?’” The Louisianian had just finished “Hot.” The crowd was hyped. He added “Family Blizzy” and “God Forgive Me” into the mix as he made his way through the discography.
La Reezy pulled the mic close to his mouth and let out an “Oooo weeeeee,” his bat signal for the upcoming call to action no crowd could resist. “TIME TO MOVE, TIME TO MOVE, TIME TO MOVE, TIME TO MOVE. Ra-ta-ta.” La Reezy himself needed a dance break for his party single “MOVE.”
As the night grew darker, a red bandana beaconed the transition of one generation of rapping to the next. La Reezy led the crowd in an acapella rendition of “We Live” before exiting the stage. A DJ followed up with a 2010s playlist, and energized fans awaited the headliner as the clock passed eight.
Smoke clouded the stage. A red screen glowed in the night. Chance The Rapper walked out, crossed his arms, and bounced to the beat. All we got, all we got, all we got, all we got.” The crowd cheered some, sang along mostly.
The setlist was a road trip through spirituality and serenity with pit stops through clubs and house parties. On one hand, you had “Blessings” and “Finish Line.” On the other, you had “Summer Friends,” STAR LINE’s “Ride (Remix),” and DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One.” And then, vivacious fans jumped in unison to the beat of “All Night” as neon symbols pulsated behind Chance. That song was a strong contender for the crowd favorite. But then again, they had all the lyrics down for “Same Drugs,” “Angels,” and—to the immense pleasure of Chance—”No Problem.”
You could say the same for STAR LINES’s “Tree.” The music faded away to a complete stop. Chance paused. Silence took over for but a second. He crouched a bit. “My mama used to always keep a lil’ bit of dro. The incense in the window while she foldin’ our clothes.” The crowd matched his acapella. “Tree” is not one of his hits with a choir on the tracks. However, the symbiosis achieved between rapper and fan here was both natural and unforgettable, and arguably one of the best moments of the night.
“I Might Need Security” called for flipping the bird. 10 Day’s “Windows” called for solace. “D.R.A.M. Sings Special” honored fans from the front row to the back row to those standing on cars in the parking lot. And when all was said and done, the lights dimmed, and the rapper said his goodbyes.
Fans dispersed as the crowd chanted, “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” Then in a flash, Chano returned. Awe hit the crowd. There was hesitation and disbelief at first, and then a turning of bodies toward a dash to the stage. “Summer Friends” became the official finale of the night.
Chance The Rapper honors Grammy-award-winning mixtape with The Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour. Photo Courtesy: Jeff Dynof.
