Bryson Tiller made a sold-out tour stop in Dallas, TX [Friday, February 5] at the House Of Blues. When word spread about the rapper/singer hitting the city a month prior, it seemed as if the entire city went into a frenzy resulting in the venue selling out tickets in less than an hour. The T R A P S O U L movement has undoubtedly taken the music world by storm, providing a host of emotional vibes with every beat change.
The show opener was writer/producer Tone Stith, who we can thank for Chris Brown‘s hits “Liquor” and “Make Love.” The crowd responded amazingly to his energy as he performed some of his original music, covered “Liquor” and gave an impromptu performance of Kehlani‘s “You Should Be Here.” Tone was followed by a performance from the group THEY, a mix of more fast-paced and slow jams.
The DJ insisted the vibe was set before Tiller graced the stage, so the lights were low until the venue was nearly pitch black (reflecting the album’s vibe). After a flash of purple lights, Tiller gave a vocal tease and appeared on stage sporting his signature cap and a large black jacket with a thick white stripe in the middle. Just as the album begins with the Intro (Difference) and transitions to “Let ‘Em Know,” so does the show. After the customary “Dallas, what’s up?”, he performed “Set You Free,” “Open (Interlude)” and addressed the crowd, thanking everyone for their support, and beginning to tell his story. Most of Bryson’s fans are familiar with the Louisville, Kentucky native’s journey to stardom, but to hear it come straight from the source was empowering, and encouragement to every dreamer in the building.
“2015 was a crazy year. How many of my day ones are in the building?” Tiller spoke on having less than 300 listens on Soundcloud to dropping “Don’t” and being overwhelmed by the response. “I was working at Papa John’s and I kept taking breaks to go to my locker and refreshing, like wow, over 10,000 views!” Recalling when he got the call from Timbaland asking him to come to Miami, Bryson admits his first concern was missing work, which prompted Timbaland to recite the words “f*ck that, this is work.” Although apprehensive, Tiller quit his job, but asked if he could keep it “just in case it didn’t work out,” and his manager told him no.
He continued to tell the crowd his story of being in shock after Drake followed him on Twitter, him meeting Drake at producer 40‘s crib, and in the middle of expressing how exciting the entire experience was, he yelled: “F*ck that, ya’ll heard the song!” and “Ten Nine Fourteen” came on, making the crowd go insane. The energy in the building was infectious and was consistent through the performance, spewing over into everyone’s favorite sing along, “Exchange.”
Tiller then took time to address how many exes have come out of the woodwork once his music started to become successful, so he performed the “song for the exes,” “Sorry Not Sorry.” He transitioned from, “Girl I’m sorry, you’re not the one for me,” to the lyrics of the banger “Rambo,” accompanied by the dopest drum solo. “I know you can do it too,” made the “Come Up” an affirmation for those following their dream to be relentless and continue to pursue success, which ushered in the vibes to slow it down with “The Sequence,” “Overtime,” “Just Another (Interlude)” and “Been That Way.”
Once “Don’t” came from the speakers, there was no reason for Bryson to sing another note, but he proceeded to sing his breakout single while the crowd took over the song, singing every word without missing a beat. The curtain closed after the singing of “Right My Wrongs,” and everyone dispersed to the merchandise table, selling it out in a matter of minutes.
The concert was sensational and Bryson’s lyrics professing he’s “as humble as they come” reigned true throughout his performance. Not making the crowd wait and telling his stories of trials and triumph, which we all can relate to, was just confirmation he’s the homie we’re all rooting for to win. Check out the T R A P S O U L tour when it comes to your city, you won’t be disappointed.