A$AP FERG – SKYWAY THEATRE

Last night A$AP Ferg brought his 2019 album, Floor Seats, to the stage in Minneapolis at Skyway Theatre. Along with him was Atlanta rapper MadeinTYO and Canadian producer/DJ Murda Beatz. While the Skyway Theatre may not have been the venue at which fans would have expected him to perform, it turned out to be a good show, with great music.

MadeinTYO took the stage first for a surprisingly short five track set, which included an a cappella version of “Ned Flanders” (a song featuring A$AP Ferg) and “Uber Everywhere.” As crowd favorites, these songs really got the energy level up. He ended his set with a moment of silence for artists we’ve recently lost. Using that, he transitioned into his track “LHTW,” featuring Mac Miller.

Next out was Murda Beatz for one of the most relaxed DJ sets I have ever seen. His relaxed vibe suggested he came there just to chill with everyone. He played a variety of his own produced tracks as well as radio hits. Bringing it home to the Minnesota crowd. he pulled out “Minnesota” by Lil Yachty. This was definitely a crowd-pleaser, the whole crowd sang along even though they didn’t seem to know most of the words.

By the time A$AP Ferg came out, the crowd was energized and ready to go. With a plain stage but great lighting, A$AP Ferg stood out. He wore a patch-filled tan jumpsuit, which made him the true focal point of the stage.

His stage presence and crowd interaction maintained the energy level from the previous sets and then some. A$AP Ferg had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He brought girls up on stage to dance, and between him and his DJ, they got the crowd engrossed in his performance.

Ferg played almost the entirety of his album. Leaving out “Pups,” Feat. A$AP Rocky, as this song wouldn’t be quite right if performed alone. Instead, A$AP Ferg brought MadeinTYO back out for a full performance of “Ned Flanders” (a song featuring A$AP Ferg).

While the Skyway is not the venue I would have expected to feature A$AP Ferg, it turned to be a great show. The minimal set design showed off an excellent use of lighting that made the Ferg shine. The sound quality was great (not always the case for hip-hop shows). Every word was easily heard, allowing the crowd to follow along. In the future, I hope to see him in other venues, but it was great to see him in a raw setting like Skyway Theatre.