The 32-year-old Cleveland native played a sold-out show at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville Thursday night as part of his Mainstream Sellout Tour. Kelly, née Colson Baker, spent an evening with the Indians full of musical surprises, deep emotional moments and a personal vendetta against the internet.
Opening for Kelly was R&B-turned-punk-pop artist Willow Smith, known professionally as Willow. Opening for Kelly was R&B-turned-punk-pop artist Willow Smith, known professionally as Willow. На разогреве у Келли выступила R&B, ставшая панк-поп-исполнительницей Уиллоу Смит, профессионально известная как Уиллоу. Kelly’s opening act will be R&B, punk-pop artist Willow Smith, known professionally as Willow.为凯利开场的是由R&B 出身的朋克流行艺术家Willow Smith，在专业上被称为Willow。 Willow Smith, a R&B pop artist born in 凯利开场, is known as Willow. На разогреве у Келли выступила поп-исполнительница R&B, ставшая панком, Уиллоу Смит, профессионально известная как Уиллоу. Opening for Kelly was R&B-turned-punk singer Willow Smith, known professionally as Willow. The singer takes the stage at 7:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the scheduled performance time, and the audience goes wild in no time.
Dressed in a ripped bodysuit, fluffy knit hat, yellow tinted glasses and a T-shirt that she almost swims in, Willow puts on a short but adorable performance. Her siren-like soprano echoed throughout the hall.
Kelly later speculated that there were about 17,000 fans inside Ruoff, most of whom were dressed in the artist’s signature pink and black outfits, as seen at pop punk concerts in the early to mid-2000s. The bright hair, ripped jeans, fishnet tights and combat boots that most concert goers wear are perfect for this type of gig, albeit with a more edgy feel.
Kelly’s set begins with a humorous dramatic opening showing him being trapped in a box by a monster called “Internet” and forced to call for someone to rescue him. This prompts twinkling lights and a pink and black striped propeller helicopter mounted on the ceiling of the amphitheater to descend onto the stage, giving Kelly a free ride.
When Kelly finally took the stage shortly before 9 p.m., cheering and shouting erupted from the amphitheater as he dangled from the helicopter ramp – no harness, just hanging by one arm and vibrating – as he began to “be born with horns”. ”
Kelly’s entire stage set-up was strange to say the least: a round black-and-white checkered stage with a slanted platform under a bunch of TV props and the aforementioned pink-and-black helicopter. Bullet-strewn trash cans lined the stage, framing Kelly and his mannequin-shaped microphone stand, which doubles as an ashtray that the singer used lavishly throughout the night.
Wearing a rhinestone crop top and black cheetah print velvet trousers with a large silver chain in front and pink hair, Kelly looks almost like his fans in the crowd. However, his eccentric and unique stage presence is a constant.
However, some moments between songs feel almost like a break, a complete stoppage of the show, as Kelly speaks candidly to the crowd, jokes and takes the time to introduce his band. Other moments feel like whiplashes, switching between background sequences of the enemy character “Internet” – embodied as a large TV head on top of a giant inflatable body – occurring in seemingly random order. Time to pop, just an insult to Kelly in every way.
“I am the Internet,” the head boomed on the TV screen in a mechanical voice. “I can say what I want to say about people.”
“The Internet has a power that dominates your mind and you need [explet] to get rid of it,” Kelly later said, again addressing the crowd. “Beauty in your [expletive] eyes, your taste, your life in your heart. Don’t let this place take away your light.”
It’s a bit odd that the whole concept doesn’t make much sense in the context of a concert. However, his words make sense and his views are good.
These and other moments seem less like a concert and more like an intricate cabaret show, where anything can happen between the plot, props and scenery, including the randomly exploding image of a woman. again. show.
Kelly entered the audience on numerous occasions, interacting directly with concert goers during performances of “Drug Dealers” and “Ah!” This is when “Make Up Sex” and “My Ex-Best Friend” come to the end of the set.
Kelly later invited Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to join him on stage to play some songs from Kelly’s latest album, Mainstream Sold Out – and he also said that Barker helped write and produce the song.
“I wanted to perform with someone who supported me from day one,” he said as Buck stepped onto the stage and sat on the drum kit at the top of the slanted stage. Kelly said that Buck had a broken thumb and other problems, but he came to play for Indiana anyway.
They performed several songs together, including “5150″, “Love Race” and “Bloody Valentine”, the last of which Kelly invited two children from the crowd to join him on stage.
With the scent of some select herbs in the air, Kelly continued to play “Bloody Valentine”, pausing for a moment and saying, “Okay, Indiana, I want to see you ladies,” leaving dozens of girls hanging from her shoulders. Guys, friends and other people come and listen to the rest of the song.
This was followed by an elaborate cover of Blink-182′s “All the Small Things” before the elusive “Internet” character returned and Kelly plunged into heavier rap songs like “roll the windows up” and “el Diablo” . ”
It would be an understatement to say that the whole atmosphere of the concert changed with these songs. Featuring dramatic lighting changes and a mixture of a heavy 808 with live drums, the next few songs involve a battle between “The Internet” and a helicopter that fires fireworks at him to defeat him.
Despite opening for him earlier in the night, Willow did not join Kelly on stage in “emo girl”. However, not many people seem to notice this and sway with dancing, screaming and violent head shaking.
In the end, Kelly pointed to the full moon, which slowly rose and peaked over the course of the show. He even encouraged people in the crowd to turn to look at the moon, as it was directly above the amphitheater’s lawn line.
“You are all so beautiful and the moon is so beautiful,” he said before playing “Lonely”. “I love you more than you can imagine.”
Almost the whole concert was performed with a Kelly cigarette, just put it down and grab one of the several pink and black guitars or the occasional acoustic guitar like on the final song “Twin Flames”. Soft blue lights form a halo around the stage that swirls with the mist, creating a subtle moment as mobile phone flashlights illuminate the amphitheatre.
This moment was sweet and seemed to last a lifetime. The audience slowly left the amphitheater as Kelly wished them well and ended the show.
Contact IndyStar correspondent Chloe McGowan at CWilkersonMcGowan@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Post time: Sep-07-2022