Review | Tyler, the Creator and friends come to Pittsburgh on the ‘Chromakopia’ tour

With the release of his eighth studio album, “Chromakopia,” decorated rapper, songwriter and producer Tyler, the Creator visited Pittsburgh to perform at PPG Paints Arena on March 28. Joining him on the tour were alternative rap group Paris Texas and rapper Lil Yachty. Tyler set up the main stage to look like the iconic green shipping crate used to promote the album. On the other side of the floor was a smaller stage where the opening acts performed.

Paris Texas was the first opener of the concert. The group consists of two members, Louie Pastel and Felix, and they have been writing music together for only a few years. Paris Texas released two back-to-back EPs titled “They Left Me With The Sword” and “They Left Me With A Gun,” respectively. Paris Texas invited their DJ and hype man, DJ Ankle Sandwich, to join them on stage, and the trio delivered a performance filled with energy. With literally no other production put into the performance other than the lighting, Paris Texas was able to rally the audience to dance and rap with them. I’m a huge Paris Texas fan and have been since their first album, so getting the opportunity to see them live was so much fun, despite the performance only lasting 30 minutes.

Lil Yachty performed next after a short intermission. The rapper gained national attention in 2015. I don’t know Lil Yachty as well as Paris Texas or Tyler, the Creator. I mostly know his bigger hits — that is, until his most recent psychedelic rock album, “Let’s Start Here,” which was a complete 180 from his normal “bubblegum trap” style. This album blew me away, but I was a little disappointed when he only played a few songs from it. Fortunately, I was not disappointed with the rest of his performance — he has an infectious energy on stage and frequently cracks jokes and interacts with the crowd. He played a mix of old and new songs, including a medley of his biggest hits. His set was slightly longer than Paris Texas’ — around 45 minutes — and he expressed his gratitude to the crowd before the second intermission, leading to the headliner’s beginning.

Tyler, the Creator pushes his limits during his ever-changing journey in fashion, and his fans follow suit. Many people in the audience showed up wearing outfits inspired by their favorite artist, including many cardigans and a lot of dark green, the main color associated with “Chromakopia.” The audience waited in anticipation until the lights went dark and the top half of the shipping container stage began to rise to reveal not only a larger stage, but the man everyone came here to see.

Wearing the signature green suit, mask and devil horns-like hairstyle that he wore in all of the album’s promotional material, Tyler began his performance in the same way “Chomakopia” starts — with the marching stomps of “St. Chroma.” Tyler’s performance was electric — his confident and animated dancing was infectious, and many members of the audience joined in. He started off with songs from “Chromakopia” to go along with the stage and his outfit. After several songs, a catwalk descended from the rafters and Tyler walked onto it, suspended above the audience. I was sitting directly across from the catwalk, so this was the closest Tyler was to me the entire concert, and it was amazing to see such a talented performer up close. Tyler was very focused on the performance, so he hadn’t interacted with the audience much, but he did use this time to throw money out to the crowd, which admittedly looked really cool. On the other side of the catwalk, the small stage began to rise, signaling the start of the next portion of the concert.

The stage looked like a living room, complete with a couch, table and, most importantly, a record player. Tyler retreated under the stage for a quick costume change, returning with a much more “Flower Boy”-esque pastel button-up over a white t-shirt. He lounged on the couch and even had a snack — something I’ve never seen an artist do during a concert — and gave off a really casual feeling, as if Tyler was letting us into his life. He then walked over to a bin full of records and began looking through. This was maybe the coolest part of the concert, as he pulled out a vinyl of one of his past albums and performed a few songs. It’s a really innovative way to take the audience through past eras of your music, and something that felt notably Tyler, as he states in a Nardwuar interview how much he loves physical media.

Tyler returned to both the catwalk and eventually the main stage as he performed, including an amazing performance of “Like Him,” which featured a lot of fire. He also had Doechii join him, albeit only through a recording on the monitors, for a performance of “Balloons.” Tyler, the Creator is a brilliant musician and did not slack during his performance, every second filled with energy and small easter eggs for his fans. While I really enjoyed the openers, Tyler, the Creator’s stardom outshines all, and he continues to prove why he is one of the most innovative creators in the world.