In his Red hot Chilli Peppers tee, Erick the Architect points to the crowd as a symbol for the people to shout his lyrics with him. (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
Zombie Juice’s multicolored afro almost blends in with the pastel-colored screen behind him during his verse of “Palm Trees” toward the end of the Flatbush Zombies concert. (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
Zombie Juice and Erick the Architect dominate the stage during their performance of “Good Grief,” one of the more popular sonngs on their new album 3001: A Laced Odyssey. (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
Meechy Darko, who had just taken off his shirt and flung it to the side of the stage,and Zombie Juice perform the most coveted track of their new album, “Bounce.” (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
Meechy Darko shakes his dreadlocks against the flourescent background during “Thug Waffle,” one of the Flatbush Zombies’ oldest songs that helped put them in the limelight. (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
Meechy Darko raps his verse to “Bath Salts”, which was originally a collaboration with A$Ap Mob. (Andrew Metzler/Emerald)
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The bass coming from the Flatbush Zombies concert at WOW Hall could be heard down the street. The line to get inside stretched around the block and local petitioners sparked conversations with the people in line about their voting involvement. It seemed fitting for the event due to the Flatbush Zombies’ outspoken nature regarding people’s rights.
Inside, Rapper Remy Banks opened the concert and hyped the crowd that waited anxiously to see the Flatbush Zombies in the close proximity that is offered by the WOW Hall. The floor shook from the excitement when the three Zombies eventually entered the stage.
Each member of the hip hop group was perfectly characterized by their unique appearance: Erick the Architect sported a classic Red Hot Chili Peppers t-shirt, Zombie Juice flaunted his exceptionally large blue-and-green-colored afro and Meechy Darko wildly flung around his half-brown and half-white dreadlocks.
There are two types of concert-goers at WOW Hall: the ones who deal with the pushing and shoving of the rambunctious crowd in order to get closer to the stage, and the ones who stand on the benches that line the walls in order to guarantee a great view of the performers. But neither situation discriminates against a great time at a Flatbush Zombies concert.
The dynamic trio opened their set with “The Odyssey,” the first song off of their latest album titled 3001: A Laced Odyssey. Although this album has been a huge accomplishment and commercial success since its release in March, the group’s set list featured many of their old songs like “Thug Waffle” and “222.”
At one point, Darko led a bittersweet chant as a dedication to a few deceased but prominent rappers, such as Capital Steez and Notorious B.I.G. The crowd chanted along, and cheered an earnest appreciation and lighthearted remembrance.
The large screen behind the band was filled with geometric shapes and digital artwork. Bright shades of basically every color imaginable could be seen projected onto the enthusiastic audience, which stood as symbol of the upbeat vibe of the night.
As if the concert needed more hype, the trio even presented a new and unreleased song. In addition, each member did an a capella musical monologue, and Darko successfully crowd-surfed. The latter is proof of the dedication within the fans of Flatbush Zombies (or maybe they just didn’t want to get crushed).
The set came to a close with the group’s most famous song “Palm Trees,” but not before Darko emphasized one last message to the receptive Eugene audience: “Open your fucking mind.” The cheers that followed prompted an encore, and the group returned to the stage for two more songs.
The Flatbush Zombies deliver an astounding performance. They truly embody their music and create an exciting atmosphere for all who are open to it. A Flatbush Zombies concert, put simply, is to be in the presence of talent, passion, and entertainment.