Getting to check out Tyler the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost tour was a must-do. For the most part, this moment in Tyler’s career is dedicated to the privilege he has to travel and see the world that he’s earned over the last 10+ years. The Grammy-award nominated album is centrally themed over the glories of traveling with the feel & sound of the mid-2000s mixtape era that was popularized by DJ Drama and the Gangsta Grillz series.
Viewers can tell that theme was intricate and committed to when they developed the live show. Being there, I witnessed a few notable moments so take this as a “travel guide.” The Call Me If You Get Lost tour was a stimulating experience as an unforgettable sighting of hip hop magic.
After supporting acts Teezo Touchdown, Vince Staples, and Kali Uchis set the tone for the night, the Gas South District arena just North of Atlanta, GA was filled up and full of anticipation as Tyler has some of the best buildup music intros in hip hop. Naturally, he was able to boil over the suspense as he arrived on stage on a Rolls Royce and a driver in full Tyler Baudelaire attire. And from there, here is what I learned:
1. The love Tyler has for Atlanta is earnest. There were a few moments where Tyler would speak in between songs on the setlist, making a few mentions of why he loves Atlanta. He explained the essence of the mixtape feel in Call Me If You Get Lost and gave a shout out to Drama for his footprint in the mixtape game and his contributions to the album. Drama was in the building that day so that was fantastic to hear.
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He also referenced Wacka Flocka as an early inspiration to some of the old work he was making in his career right before he went into a slew of throwbacks that the crowd obliged to recite bar for bar like “IFHY” and “Yonkers.”
2. Tyler makes sure his live performance is marginally distinctive in contrast to the studio recordings. If you didn’t know, Tyler also really can freestyle. He had an interlude between songs where he spontaneously spit a freestyle, citing Ludacris, TI, and other Atlanta references that we all found pretty special. Tyler used an alternate intro to “See You Again” where there’s a marching drum and Tyler marches and salutes during the section on his B stage.
3. Tyler really hates when fans throw things on stage for him. He actually stopped the show just to address when there was an item on stage thrown by a fan, and persisted to have the rest of the arena “boo” that singular fan and their poor, dangerous actions. Might I also add, loud booing.
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The energy remained relatively uptempo in the set as we all danced to “I THINK” towards the end of the setlist as Tyler prompted members in the crowd to “shake that ass.” But as we’re historically accustomed to in a Tyler the Creator concert, the way this goes is, there should be some sweat-dripping, aggressive moshing throughout the show, and no matter how much Tyler has evolved artistically and musically, he will still keep one or two in the tuck for moments like that.
So, without spoiling the show, the closing handful of hits in which Tyler bookends the experience absolutely requires some energy and stays true to the essence of Tyler the Creator’s overall world.
4. He wants full creative control of this world he has built for the fans to enjoy. Tyler the Creator had the option to allow anyone to grace the stage alongside him. Teezo Touchdown, Kali Uchis, and Westside Gunn were all present and all have music with Tyler, but for the CMIYGL tour it seems as though it is easier for Tyler to grace the stage on his own to maintain the image of this story. On “Who Dat Boy,” many fans screamed when presuming they were hearing live vocals from peer and collaborator A$AP Rocky. Instead, Tyler had a silhouette designed of Rocky’s shadow into the stage set.
A game-changing experience is so immersive that it makes complete sense for them to partner with Amazon Music & Twitch to release a live concert for the world to see. That live show on Amazon and Twitch will be in Tyler’s hometown Los Angeles, CA on March 31st. With the tour being heavy on the motive to ‘encourage exploration,’ it was important for the tour to be as accessible to the entire world. The “travel itinerary” for this tour was for the entire crew to tour the US & Canada. With there being one week remaining on the tour, I advise you to see if you can find your way to one of the stops if possible. It is without a doubt and unquestionably worth it.
Connect with Tyler the Creator: Apple Music | Website | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram
