Arts & Culture

Concert Roundup: selections from ‘Soulfly’ and the soul star

By Ryan Hardison & Katarina Josifov CONTRIBUTOR, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Oct. 20 - Rod Wave Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater Who says Wednesday evenings can’t be for sulking AND partying? Rod Wave says so.

Known for his piano-laden beat selection which resembles a church ensemble and an eyeopening lyrical focus on mental health, Wave’s painful tales of heartbreak and being down on his luck resonate with a large audience. As a stop on the last leg of his “Soulfly” to support his March 26 album of the same name, Wave performed nearly a nation away from his West Florida origins on Oct. 20.

Before the main event, a number of his affiliates drifted on and off stage like pestering flies, dropping a couple verses before dipping stage left, including fellow Florida rapper OMN Twee and Houston emcee DJ X.O.

New Orleans rapper NoCap then emerged as the show’s primary opener. On nearly every track he rapped the final verses acapella, providing intimate moments with the audience. He performed his biggest hit “Ghetto Angels” twice (despite only performing seven songs), and led a spirited round of “Free YB”

chants, referring to his friend, incarcerated rapper Youngboy Never Broke Again.

After NoCap departed, there were a few moments when the crowd leapt to their feet because of movement on the stage, only to be massively disappointed when a stagehand descended from behind the curtains. The house DJ bided the time between sets by exclusively playing mid- 2000s Young Jeezy hits like “Soul Survivor.” (Something which this humble arts & culture editor

deeply appreciated.)

This was all a setup to time Wave’s emergence through the makeshift “Soulfly” pyramid center stage with the intro to Jeezy’s regional hit “Trap Star,” aligned with an elaborate timer counting down on a large screen.

Wave covered a lot of ground in his show, beginning with selections from his hit-heavy 2019 project “Ghetto Gospel” and ending with songs from the deluxe version of “Soulfly.”

Throughout the set, there was

a massive momentum shift in the crowd from elation to revelation. It felt like many people in the crowd had been holding in intense pain and emotion, which was suddenly conjured up by two seconds of the tune from “Heart on Ice” and a passionate scream of the chorus. With the chance to fully sing with their chest while dancing away their struggles - who needs therapy when you have Rod Wave to help overcome your deepest sorrows?

Photo by Noelani Sapla

Rod Wave performing the song “Green Light” from his 2019 project “Ghetto Gospel.”