Death Grips
Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
Louisville, KY
July 28th, 2023
California experimental hip hop group Death Grips brought their current tour to Louisville on July 28th to a sold-out crowd of fans! The mood inside the venue was one of excitement and the energy was electric! This is the group’s first time touring in 4 years, having announced the North American Tour this past December, causing a whirl of excitement from fans across the country. Performing plenty of fan favorites and B-side tracks, there was plenty to get hyped about. There was no opening band this evening, which just allowed the anticipation to grow from the moment that doors opened until the band took the stage. As the band was about to hit the stage around 8:45, the mood was one of restless anticipation, with fans at the barricade and throughout the venue ready for the music to begin. As the band hit the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers, dancing and singing with their hands in the air! Many fans on the main floor had opened up a sizeable mosh pit and were slamming into each other in good fun as they sang along with singer Stefan Burnett. Rounded out with drummer Zach Hill and Nick Reinhart on bass, the group was a whirlwind on stage with Burnett jumping and bouncing around the stage and the trio blowing through their 29-song set list at a fervent pace. There was no chatting with the crowd between songs, with Burnett immediately, upon the end of each song, going into the next one, with it sometimes hard to distinguish where one song ended and the next began.
Many of the fans in the crowd kept pace with the group, though, stoked for each song sung. The sweat was flowing this evening, with many fans having to take breaks from the being in the crowd to drink water and cool off a bit before diving back in! There is a camaraderie that Death Grip’s fan base shares that was very visible this evening. Since forming, the group has grown a dedicated and loyal following, and it was very clear by watching the fans this evening just how much this band and their music means to them. Aside from the set list, which started out with “System Blower” and included “I’ve Seen Footage”, “Hustle Bones”, “Guillotine”, “Up My Sleeves”, and “Lock Your Doors”, the stage lighting this evening was perfectly in sync with the music, washing the stage in tones of red and yellow and creating a simultaneously moody and energizing atmosphere. Ending their set with “Hacker”, the song meaning described as “the moment when all shit breaks loose and all that’s left to do is riot”, seemed a fitting way to end the night. The fans ended the evening the same way they started it-by going absolutely wild and expending every ounce of energy they had left! It was an incredibly fun night that left everyone wanting more!
