Atlanta rapper Future just embarked on a nationwide tour in support of his most recent mixtape, “Purple Reign.” Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom was the second stop on the sold-out tour, which also featured Ty Dolla $ign and DJ Esco among others.
Unfortunately I missed over half the show because the promoter was convinced I wasn’t approved to photograph (I was) so by the time the mess was sorted out, I had been standing at will call for over an hour and had missed Ty’s set as well as part of Future’s set. (I wish I could say this sort of issue for concert photographers is a rarity but it’s definitely not.)
Anyway, from what I did catch of the show, I have nothing but good things to say. I haven’t seen a crowd enjoying themselves as much as Future’s crowd in a long time. The room was steaming hot and everyone was dancing, sweating, smiling, and singing along. It was like walking into summertime Chi and the vibe was contagious.
Future did a good job of varying his setlist, pulling fan favorites from old and new material and when Ty returned to the stage to dive into the crowd, I though the roof of the Aragon was going to pop off from all of the excitement. My only complaint was that the show didn’t last longer.
