Tech N9ne performed at Irving Plaza in New York City for his Independent Powerhouse Tour on Saturday.
Tech N9ne and the Strange Music crew took over Irving Plaza on April 16th as part of his Independent Powerhouse Tour. With opening acts Mayday!, Stevie Stone, Rittz, Krizz Kaliko, and Ces Cru, Tech N9ne rocked the show with a different kind of energy.
The crowd at this event surprisingly ranged from teens to forty-something year olds (I even saw a woman who was definitely older than my dad just chilling and vibing by herself.) Strange Music almost has a cult following in that everyone in the room seemed to know every word of every song (even for the opening acts), screaming the lyrics as they danced and jumped with the music. A lot of the concert-goers also dressed a lot like Jesse Pinkman of season one of Breaking Bad (you know, when Aaron Paul was always in oversized hoodies and baggy jeans) which was hilarious, or were decked out like the “scene kids” in high school. It was a very strange crowd, to say the least. *badum tss*
The Strange Music leader opened with “Hard,” a track from his 2014 album, Strangeulation. With his chopper-like style of rapping, Tech N9ne performed tracks with all kinds of musicality, including hip-hop, punk rock, and rap (there was even some gospel elements, which definitely added a more spiritual vibe to the set.) The crowd howled like animals, the air was filled with the smell of marijuana, sweat, and booze, and the ground shook—it felt primal as fuck, but it was the place to get really weird and not be bothered by anyone else.
Tech N9ne, one of the most successful independent rappers in the game, announced his new album and 11th solo effort, The Storm. The Storm will be dropping in September of this year, as he stated on his Instagram the other day.
Photo from the Strange Music website.