Going To The Moon: Kid Cudi
As I rushed home from my volleyball practice on September 6th, I was ecstatic. The car ride home was filled with the anticipation of seeing the Kid Cudi ‘To The Moon Tour’ concert later that night. From the moment I bought the tickets, seventeen days prior, I counted down everyday, researching setlist after setlist to make sure that I was more ready than ever for the concert of a lifetime. With excitement coursing through my veins, I finally arrived at my house. I ran up to my room to find my two best friends anxiously waiting for me. We listened to Kid Cudi as we put on our outfits we had planned weeks in advance, put on our full faces of makeup, and picked which shoes to wear. With only an hour and a half to get ready, do our homework, and get out the door by 6:00pm, it felt like a fever dream and a race against the clock.
Once we parked, the steps from the parking lot to the entrance felt like miles and miles. Approaching the metal detectors at the doors of State Farm Arena, the excitement of the concert grew. Walking through the doors, I got my first whiff of marijuana that night. Hundreds of people surrounded us as we rushed to our seats, waiting for Kid Cudi to begin. Little did we know he would not come on stage for another two hours, at approximately 9:00 pm, making our dramatic rush to get to the concert seem unnecessary. Although the opener for the show, 070 Shake was talented, she was not my taste. It seemed as though she played longer than Kid Cudi himself, which came as a disappointment to me. 070 Shake started at roughly 7:35 pm and ended a little before 9:00 pm; Kid Cudi has an average show length of one hour and thirty eight minutes.
During Cudi’s performance, every seat was full, every phone was out, and voices were loudly screaming the poetic words of Scott Mescudi. Looking around I saw lots of people with a wide range of ages from younger highschool students, young adults, millennials, and even parents who may have come with their kids. But no matter the age, everyone seemed to enjoy the concert. Cudi played songs from multiple albums, eras, and years of his. His personality and voice filled the entire arena. It is safe to say that neither his music, nor his performances are appropriate for seventh graders and below. He uses swear words, talks about illegal substances, and his shows are no doubt accompanied by spectators smoking marijuana. It was almost as if the concert-goers were hotboxing the arena, but still an amazing concert nonetheless.
Cudi’s set created a sense of euphoria. I felt as if I was on a different planet for that beautiful one hour and thirty eight minutes. Listening to his music (or any music) on a streaming service or device just isn’t the same as the live, in person performances. I’m not sure when Kid Cudi will return to Atlanta for another concert since his last time here was October of 2017, but I hope he comes back soon so I can enjoy another night of blinding lights and heavy vibrations of music.
By Peyton Louie