By Christian Ortmann

On the eve of Thanksgiving, thousands of eager fans coiled the sidewalks of Fishtown anticipating Brockhampton’s return to The Fillmore. The collective contains multitudes, a dozen or so creative minds always firing, bouncing off one another like atoms in a molecule. Had they not even released an album this year, this show was destined to larger and more of a spectacle in every dimension than I had witnessed here last year. The group had, however, released another album this year, GINGER, to generally warm and positive reviews. The trajectory of this group continues upward, almost stubbornly, by not merely selling out this show but perhaps even overselling it.

Unlike last year, Brockhampton was accompanied by two opening acts. 100 gecs and Slowthai both experienced great success this year each with their own breakthrough debut full-length projects. 100 gecs are probably my favorite revelation of the year. The duo of strikingly long blonde-haired Laura Les and Dylan Brady delivered their kaleidoscopic caricatures of sound to an enthusiastic crowd that buzzed and pulsated through the whole set. Like the notions of love and hate themselves, false dichotomies are often perpetuated across genres of music, and it takes a group with such absurd abandon like 100 gecs to remind us that ultimately electronic, metal, and ska (?) have more in common than we give them credit for. The Mercury prize nominated Slowthai expressed humility and gratitude for being received so positively by the American crowd but not before putting on an exceptionally high energy set. His debut “Nothing Great About Britain” is a highly political work that doesn’t shy away from criticizing the current state of affairs in his home nation. This album was also met with positive reviews. I don’t think he stopped moving or rapping for the duration of his set. A quality in performance that many rappers let slide in favor of resting their vocals and getting the crowd involved, his passion was not lost on me. In my opinion, a line up this stacked only comes around once in a blue moon.

Brockhampton’s set began at a sprint, powering through several songs almost seamlessly. The energy and chemistry of this groups six vocalists should come as no surprise at this point in their burgeoning career. The stage design featured a ramp that created a split level dynamic creating a unique depth in the production. High powered fog machines reinvigorated the crowd with every use as they were effectively shot off to emphasize beat drops and higher energy moments in various songs. After the group introduced themselves, they executed the rest of a 19 song setlist that leaned heavily into their last album, as well as sprinkling in some fan favorites and a couple pleasant surprises. Regarding songs from the Saturation trilogy, I noticed that the group seemed more comfortable in skipping over the lost verses of former member Ameer Vann than I had felt they were last year. Despite moving on without him confidently, his absence is still a mark on the group given the world wide acclaim those three records got with his face front and center on every cover.

In the end, Brockhampton delivered on all fronts. From front of house with an eclectic and expansive merch wall, to picking two of 2019’s most talked about artists on tour with them, a clever set design, and a song selection that acknowledged the whirlwind transformation they have lived through in the past two or three years alone. As far as I am concerned, there may not be a next time for Brockhampton at The Fillmore, it is still onwards and upwards for them. Wherever they are hosted next time around, I fully expect to weasel my way in.

BROCKHAMPTON'S "Ginger" Era Leans Heavily on Collective Transformation and Tightening Vibrations

By Christian Ortmann

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