Photos & story by Shannon Shumaker
These days, going to a concert isn’t only about hearing good music live and seeing your favorite artist up close and personal. Sure, that’s the foundation of a great show, but it seems that in 2017, it’s all about the experience. Did the artist have an incredible production? Was there a cool light show? What did they do? What did they have to say? With live footage from shows across the globe always at our fingertips, it makes us desire something a bit more from the concerts that we choose to spend our money on, and it’s safe to say that Hoodie Allen has certainly delivered on his Hype World Tour.
Known for wild performances, crazy onstage antics and encouraging crowd participation, Hoodie Allen is expected to put on a one of a kind show, and he certainly didn’t disappoint at The Gothic Theatre in Denver, Colorado over the weekend. Despite the fact that the show fell on the same night that deadmau5 had sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Hoodie Allen not only drew a large, nearly sold out crowd to the show, but he also kept them entertained for well over an hour with a high energy twenty-something song set.
Going into the show, I wasn’t very familiar with the two opening acts, Luke Christopher and Myles Parrish, but it was apparent that Hoodie Allen’s die-hard fans were, as those up front were singing along with nearly every single word. Although it was easy to tell that nearly everyone was simply anxiously awaiting Hoodie Allen’s performance, they were also very tuned in to the two opening artists. However, nothing could compare to the explosion of energy as soon as the lights dimmed and Hoodie Allen and his band took the stage.
Opening the show with “Believe” and “Sushi” from his recently released album, Hype, Hoodie Allen immediately commanded the entire crowd and wasted no time getting right down to it. Before the first song of his set was even over, he was firing fake dollar bills into the audience, to the excitement of fans who eagerly reached for a free souvenir to take home with them. And even after the explosive opener, he joked that if anyone didn’t have a good time, they could “have a refund.”
Throughout the set, Hoodie Allen continued to pull out all of the stops. From shooting money at the crowd during the first song to “caking” the audience halfway through the show and even pulling an excited fan up on stage to announce a song before dropping balloons into the crowd, he did it all. Halfway through the show, he ran from the stage to a smaller platform located near the soundboard for a more intimate performance with those in the back of the crowd who “showed up late.” And of course, later in the show, he pulled out an inflatable raft to crowd surf during “All My Friends” for a whole fifteen seconds before being pulled into the crowd – but the whole time, he had a smile on his face.
All “gimmicks” aside, Hoodie Allen proved that he is one hell of a performer and certainly knows how to command a crowd. His banter with fans and ability to wrangle even the most unruly concertgoers was incredible. Even when he had to deal with a particularly drunk group of fans who kept shouting song requests from the balcony, he did so with humor and class, which left them feeling special rather than feeling like they just got called out in front of an entire venue, and it kept spirits high. And keep in mind, this was all in between high energy song after song, as he peppered in older fan-favorites with tracks from the new album.
No matter where you found yourself at The Gothic Theater on Friday night, the Hype Tour was a one of a kind experience for everyone in attendance. If Hoodie Allen is coming through your city on this run of shows, do yourself a favor and check it out – you certainly won’t be disappointed.
View the full photo gallery from Hoodie Allen’s stop in Denver, CO here.
View tour dates and purchase tickets to an upcoming show here.