THUNDER BAY – I’ll be the first to admit, I wasn’t Polo G’s target audience.
I’ll also admit, I’m no stranger to rap shows either, even though I grew up on Springsteen and the Police in the ‘80s, and stuck with my rock roots through Nirvana and Pearl Jam a decade later. Not much has changed.
Thanks to music festivals, I’ve been exposed to more and more hip-hop, and having a teenager in the house who likes concerts almost as much as me, one who’s into the trap scene, has led me to shows like Travis Scott, Lil Pump and the late JuiceWrld and Cardi B, the latter two at my home away from home in Manchester, Tenn., the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
That said, I’m no hip-hop aficionado, but I do know what I like.
Apparently Polo G is now on that list.
The up-and-coming rapper, also known as Taurus Tremani Bartlett, has soared to the top of the Billboard music charts, charting 10 singles on the Hot 100 off his second album, Goat. Last year the Chicago-born rapper also hit No. 1 with his song Rapstar.
He’s really good, even though his live show is pretty bare-bones. It works.
An old-school storyteller, Polo G doesn’t need the flash and doesn’t need a hype man pumping the crowd up every 10 seconds. While it may be a rap tradition, I’ve seen plenty of artists – I’m looking at you, Cardi B – who waste way too much of their limited time on stage feeding their own egos rather than the musical shows of those who forked out more than $150 to see them.
The 23-year-old comes with a more laid-back style, letting his lyrics speak for themselves (with a little bit of hype, of course).
Before going any further, I do have to address the logistical issues that led to hours-long lines, the Gardens only offering up a handful of security guards to inspect patrons coming into the building, which slowed things down tremendously.
If promoters like Hanh Marino and others are able to bring more acts to the Gardens, it’s something the city is going to have to address. It’s one thing to have eager fans waiting in line for 2.5 hours in May, it’s another to expect it in January.
While the fans were trickling into the facility, DJ Supa, a regular at NV Music Hall, warmed the crowd up, mixing high-energy rapping with familiar beats – and the obligatory “I say Thunder, you say Bay” chant that all three acts used to keep the 3,000 or so fans on hand engaged.
The main show finally began about 9:30 p.m., local act Chief Supreme hitting the stage, the four-time Canadian Hip-Hop Award nominee coming out in full head dress to start the ball rolling with a short, but entertaining set that set the stage for what was to come.
After a brief intermission, Sheck Wes, a former NBA hopeful, probably best known for his 2017 hit Mo Bamba, a top five song on the Canadian charts, ramping up the excitement on the floor and in the stands with a sweat-drenched set heavily influenced by Travis Scott and Kanye West.
He left the stage after 30 minutes or so and the “Polo G, Polo G” chants began, the crowd peaking in anticipation for the headliner, an act that’s exploded onto the scene and potentially headed for superstardom down the road.
The crowd ate up every lyric, often drowning out Polo G as they sang along word for word to Rapstar and Hate the Other Side, a tribute to the late, great Juice Wrld, along with a dozen or so other hits. It was short and sweet, and by the time all was said and done, more than worth the wait.
