WORDS AND IMAGES: TODD JUDD in HARRISBURG, PA | Three acts, one sold-out room, and a night that had absolutely no chill from start to finish. Tobyraps set the tone early—a rapper doing push-ups mid-verse will do that—before Artikal Sound System locked down the room with thick riddims and Logan Rex’s powerhouse vocals, leaving the crowd in disbelief. Then Ballyhoo! did what Ballyhoo! does best: delivered their signature chaotic, high-energy party that reminded everyone in the building exactly why live music is worth every penny.
The night’s music kicked off with Tobyraps (real name Ryan Tobbe), and I’ll admit I hadn’t heard his music before. That quickly changed. Toby is a rapper, songwriter, and motivational artist from Cleveland, Ohio, known for his upbeat, community-focused music and freestyle skills. His style has been described as Lil Dicky meets Watsky, and that comparison fits well.
He had the crowd engaged from the start—dropping push-ups, sit-ups, and sprinting across the stage while delivering his verses. His energetic performance and playful flow made him the perfect warm-up for what would become a great night of music.
Next up was Artikal Sound System (A.S.S.). Chris Montague, Fabian Acuña, and Christopher Cope came running onto the stage with a hilarious, choreographed dance to the cheers of the crowd. At the same time, Adam Kampf stepped behind the drums and Logan Rex strolled onstage as the band launched into “Self Sabotage.”
I’ve seen A.S.S. twice before, both times at festivals—Cali Vibes and Reggae Rise Up—so I was excited to experience them in a more intimate venue like XL Live. The question was whether their high-energy festival performance would translate into a smaller room. It absolutely did.
As they moved through songs like “Spiritual Broadcaster,” “Get Me Out,” and “Batshit,” one thing became clear: Logan Rex has one of the best voices in reggae-rock today. Her voice is soulful, powerful, and versatile enough to fit comfortably across multiple genres. The band kept the momentum rolling with “Changes,” “Just A Girl,” “Right Now,” and “Don’t Like You,” with the crowd singing along and clearly loving every moment. The band’s rhythm section locked in tight all night—the riddim was so strong there wasn’t a single person standing still.
After more fan favorites, including “Solid Stone,” “Traffic,” and “Vertigo,” they launched into the crowd favorite “Asshole.” I’m pretty sure everyone in the building was singing along—and the women might have been singing even louder than the guys! They followed that with one of my personal favorites, “Stayed.” Logan absolutely crushed it. Her soulful vocals floated through the room, creating one of those rare concert moments when you stop and take it all in.
They wrapped their set with “NCB” and the powerful “Pull Me Close,” which had the sold-out crowd dancing from start to finish. It was the perfect high-energy lead-in to Ballyhoo!’s set.
And then it was time. As I said earlier, I knew what we were going to get from Ballyhoo!: an energetic, chaotic, incredibly fun show. The real question was which direction the set would take—more of their older material, the beachy reggae vibe, full-on rock mode, or a mix of everything. The answer: a little bit of all of it.
I love the Ballyhoo! crowd. You’ve got roots reggae fans, punk kids, rock fans, and beach-vibe party people all in the same room, all there to have a great time. As Howi, Donald, Scott, Nick, and Mike stepped onto the stage to the iconic intro of “The Final Countdown,” the crowd erupted. They kicked things off with “Four Days,” a perfect opener to get the crowd jumping. Next came the ska-punk energy of “I Don’t Wanna Go,” followed by the crowd-favorite anthem “Middle Finger,” with the audience singing every word with Howi.
After “Sleepin On The Couch” and “Mixtape,” the band cranked up the rock energy with “Self Employed.” Then they rolled through more reggae-rock staples, including “Cali Girl,” “Shellshock,” and “Social Drinker,” sounding as tight as ever.
What always amazes me about Ballyhoo! is how much fun they clearly have on stage. That energy feeds directly into the crowd. They kept the beachy vibes going with “Blaze This Weed” and “Dammit,” before raising the energy several notches with the fan favorite “Gas Station Burrito.” The upbeat momentum continued with “Swim,” “Dark Sunglasses,” and “Walk Away,” and the crowd responded the only way they could—dancing, singing, and vibing along.
A quick shout-out to the band: Howi sounded fantastic all night. And Donald, Mike, Scott, and Nick continue to prove why Ballyhoo! is one of the tightest bands in the reggae-rock world.
As the night began to wind down, they slowed things briefly with “California King,” but the calm didn’t last long. The energy exploded again with “Riddled With Bullets,” which the band absolutely demolished live. They closed out the night with the high-energy anthem “Selling Out,” leaving the crowd wanting even more.
This was my first concert of the year (thanks to a few snow cancellations), and what a way to start the season. Tobyraps kicked things off with his unique style and energetic flow. Artikal Sound System delivered a stellar set, with the band laying down tight riddims while Logan Rex blessed the crowd with her incredible voice. If you haven’t seen Artikal Sound System live yet, do yourself a favor and fix that soon.
And Ballyhoo! once again proved why they remain one of the most entertaining live acts in the reggae-rock scene. Their blend of reggae, punk, rock, ska, and beach vibes makes it impossible not to have a great time. The crowd never stopped moving. The music never stopped hitting. And the party never stopped.
ARTIKAL SOUND SYSTEM
TOBYRAPS
