American rapper Lil Yachty brought the Field Trip Tour to Pittsburgh last Sunday, October 1. He performed his newest album along with his old hits for a full crowd at the Roxian Theatre. Lil Yachty showed off his new psychedelic sound featured in his recent album Let’s Start Here, which dropped this past January.
The night kicked off with 90 minutes of music from various openers and DJs. The Concrete Boyz – a collective of upcoming rappers signed by Lil Yachty – hyped up the crowd fast. Following their performance, the DJ played current rap classics to keep fans moving.
The crowd’s energy quickly came to a halt when opener Nick Hakim took the stage. Hakim was one of the producers of the new album and withholds a career of his own. His set wasn’t bad, but his indie-alternative style was not what fans were there for.
After much anticipation, Lil Yachty opened his set with a trippy video sequence, featuring dreamy graphics and vibrant auras. One of his vocalists sang the intro to “drive ME crazy,” as Lil Yachty joined on stage to rap his verse.
Lil Yachty was accompanied by an all-female band and background singers. The performers sported black and yellow Pittsburgh merch in honor of Lil Yachty’s first time performing in the city since 2018.
Throughout the show, hypnotic visuals were displayed on LED screens behind the performers. There were also various spotlights and strobe lights on stage. The stage design brought Lil Yachty’s psychedelic visions to life, as fans could fully experience the “field trip” that he envisioned.
The beginning of Lil Yachty’s set included a series of songs from his newest album, embracing his new style perfectly. The band continued to accompany him on “the ride,” “The Alchemist,” and “pRETTy.” His signature auto-tuned vocals paired with a fascinating rock band of women had fans hooked.
Lil Yachty took time in the middle of his set to honor his old style. The crowd was full of long-time fans, so the pit immediately exploded with energy. Many members of the band stepped out as Lil Yachty performed hits “iSpy,” “One Night,” and “Broccoli.”
Lil Yachty concluded his show with more songs from Let’s Start Here. The band joined him back on stage to wrap up the evening. They closed the show with “the BLACK seminole,” as the pianist played an extended interlude and vocalist Lea Grace Swinson delivered captivating runs.
There was no encore, and fans quickly filed out of the venue after receiving a full performance from Lil Yachty and his crew.
It was the eighth show on the Field Trip Tour, and 36 remain throughout North America and Europe. Experimental pop star Jean Dawson will join the tour in Europe, and Nick Hakim will bow out of the tour as it goes overseas.
Lil Yachty will continue to amaze fans around the world until the field trip comes to an end in late December. Between the immersive stage design, incredible band, great music, and charismatic rapper himself, the Field Trip Tour was not one to miss.
