Hip hop “boy band” perform for sold-out Montreal crowd

Brockhampton standing in formation in front of overzealous fans of all ages. Photo by Immanuel Matthews

Brockhampton call themselves the best boy band since One Direction—and they very well might be

The L.A.-based alternative hip hop collective Brockhampton performed for a sold-out crowd at the Corona Theatre on Feb. 6. Montreal was the 15th stop on the group’s Love Your Parents Tour, following the release of their third studio album, Saturation 3, in December 2017.

As the crowd filled the dimly lit venue, fans sporting orange jumpsuits and blue face paint—a look made famous by the group—hurried to find spots closest to the stage.

Brockhampton is an independent collective of 20-somethings who met on an Internet forum. The 14 musicians and visual artists, who hail everywhere from Texas to Ireland, performed a wild show. With eight Brockhampton members on stage at all times, a lack of energy or stage presence were the last things on anyone’s mind.

Performing hit tracks from their last three studio albums, like “Gold,” “Gummy” and “Zipper,” fans had a variety of old and new songs to listen for and jam to. The self-proclaimed boy band had the crowd jumping for the entirety of their 90-minute set, with rap-R&B-jazz influenced, genre-swirling music.

Towards the end of their performance, after wrapping up a song, Brockhampton took a moment to address the crowd.

“Everyone with orange jumpsuits or blue faces, come on stage,” invited the group’s de facto leader, Kevin Abstract.

Less than five minutes later, more than 15 fans had been pulled up on stage by security and filled the space behind the group. As the last call was made for costumed concertgoers, Brockhampton began a bass-rumbling performance of “Star” from their second album, Saturation 2.

The “internet’s first boy band,” as the group refers to itself, has continued to build a sizable buzz in the last year, and there is no doubt among music critics and fans alike that Brockhampton will soon to be a household name.

Photo by Immanuel Matthews

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