Return of the Hometown Hippy, Mod Sun

Last updated on June 11th, 2019 at 03:40 pm

The first couple times I had the pleasure of seeing Mod Sun was when I was 15 years old. At the now-deceased Station 4, a venue typically home to metal-heads and punk rockers, the eccentric, self-ascribed hippy repeatedly wound up on show bills tucked in between bands known for guttural screams and brain splitting breakdowns. It was a unique and refreshing experience, albeit an odd one, to watch him move metal crowds with uplifting hip hop, ultimately becoming a beacon of positivity.

 Before my high-school friends knew it, we found ourselves at more of his shows, rapping along to words about a plant we had yet to smoke, but left every concert grinning from ear to ear and looking like we were seasoned tokers. His message was happiness and positivity, and the message was received by everyone in the crowd. 

Fast forward nearly ten years later and the date is June 8th, 2019. Mod Sun is performing at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, MN, his home state. His friend-base ranges from five years old to sixty-five years old. They began to gather outside the venue four hours before the doors opened, eager to welcome Mod Sun home; and what a warm welcome it was. 

The night was opened up by Marcus Ybarra, a local artist and friend to Mod Sun. Up next was ForgetBrennan, a singer / songwriter who tours with Mod frequently. With the energy and sweat level increased, LostInVegas, the penultimate act, was set to take the stage.

Not long after, with the lights low and the crowd ready, Mod Sun appeared in front of the sea of screaming concertgoers, opening with his single “My Hippy.” Throughout his set, the crowd of his hometown fans sang along so loudly it became almost difficult to hear Mod’s voice above the rest. 

At this point I was buzzed off of gin and sodas, feeling nostalgic for the days in high school with my friends Reid and Mackenzie, listening to Mod Sun’s “Picture the Sunrise” with the windows down, smoking out of apples, and skipping classes. 

Positivity was radiating all around the Varsity Theater thanks to Mod Sun. His ceaseless appreciation for devout fans who come to see him in his home state was preached from the beginning to the end of his set, and the love was reciprocated tenfold. The breaks he took between songs to simply stare into the crowd and take in the love his fans feel for him revealed genuine thanks and gratitude which were visible in his smile. 

Mod Sun’s homecoming was all love and happiness, and revealed to me, yet again, that he’s an overwhelmingly talented performer and rapper whose mission is to help better the world he lives in through his music. 

Article written by – Sam McNaughton