By Will Roper
March 13, 2018
On Saturday, the Bourbon Theatre boomed with energetic, up-and-coming hip-hop acts culminating with Arizona rapper Futuristic and his band.
Three hip-hop groups took the stage to open for featured artist Futuristic. The first, Lincoln-native Johnny Bliss, helped warm up the crowd along with his group by delivering tight lyrics over bass-heavy, methodical beats. Bliss and company held an infectious stage presence, and before their set was finished, a sizable crowd had already formed to cheer them on and participate in a group selfie after the last song.
Next up was the West Coast emcee ScribeCash, who brought a refreshing R&B flavor to her hip-hop set. Lyrically, ScribeCash gave quick, measured lines that engaged the enthusiastic crowd from the get-go. Her production, one half in powerful West Coast hip-hop and one half in rhythmic slow jams, was also on point. She became an instant fan-favorite by offering autographs and hugs after the show.
The last opener before Futuristic was Milwaukee-rapper IshDARR, who, accompanied by his brother, completely took over the show. IshDARR has been quickly coming up in the national hip-hop scene in recent years, with singles like “Too Bad” and “Locals” becoming instant hits on SoundCloud and Spotify. His music, blended with different elements of hip-hop and jazz from inspirational artists like Lil Wayne and De La Soul, is distinctive and lends itself to the national spotlight.
The Nebraska crowd at the Bourbon easily recognized his tracks, and, along with other songs off of past albums, IshDARR had the venue at maximum hype levels in anticipation for Futuristic. Someday in the near future, look for IshDARR to be headlining his own show at the Bourbon.
Futuristic walked on stage with a band comprising nga saxophone, drum kit, rhythm guitar and bass guitar. The band, playing over other electronic elements, served as the driving force for the high energy of the entire show. As soon as Futuristic went into his first track, the band (especially the saxophone player) made the performance come to life.
The crowd, jam-packed with both people who knew of Futuristic and those who didn’t, were immediately jumping off their feet and raising their hands in the air.
Originating from Tempe, Ariz., Futuristic, also known as Zachary Lewis Beck, launched his career in music through an interesting combination of pop and indie hip-hop. As both a rapper and producer, Futuristic grew his following from the ground up, eventually releasing his 2015 album The Rise which rose into the Billboard Top 200. The next year, another album reached the Top 200 in As Seen on the Internet.
Futuristic’s national tour continues on into the Western United States, as he and IshDARR travel to Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona on the “What more could you ask for?” tour.
A highlight of Futuristic’s set at the Bourbon was when the saxophone player, just after an impressive solo, put the sax down, picked up a mic and began spitting the verse originally intended for Tech N9ne. For those who don’t know Tech N9ne, he’s notorious for impossibly quick lyrical flow and delivery – an attribute that sets him apart from many rappers. The saxophone player, however, delivered the lines as if he was embodying Tech N9ne himself, and when he was finished, he picked his instrument back up and continued the set.
Futuristic’s own lyrical flow and posh stage presence were perfect for his performance, and the two combined together spread out over the crowd easily. Songs from his older albums were spaced well with his newer ones, and people had a great mix of fan favorites and new music.
Overall, the night of hip-hop at the Bourbon Theatre was exactly what most were expecting – a high-energy, heavy-bass and stylistic show. People left satisfied with the popular acts of IshDARR and Futuristic, and many left as new fans of all four great artists.
Will Roper is an editorial intern with KZUM.
