Once in a Blue Moon

Written and Photographed by Solomon Mabry

This past Sunday, Wale’s “Under a Blue Moon” Tour came to Indianapolis. The tour kicked off after the release of Wale’s new album, Folarin II.

The show opened with artist Cam Wallace. Although this is only his first tour, the Houston-native’s performance entrenched the crowd in his performance and energized them for his set and those after him. Cam’s setlist included big-name features such as Wiz Khalifa despite being an up-and-coming artist. Cam’s inclusion in the Blue Moon undeniably paid off, as his energy and stage presence matched that of a veteran artist.

Cam’s momentum wasn’t lost as the next artist, Guapdad 4000, entered the stage. His voice came before he did; the words “Let’s get this straight right now, Guapdad 4000 is the f*cking…he has everything we need. He’s consistent, he got b*tches, he got fits.” From his dancing onstage to entering the crowd, his personality can only be described as magnetic, which created a fully immersive experience for the concert goers.

Guapdad’s set featured songs from his own discography, as well as the Dreamville collaborative album, in which he urged the crowd to participate in rapping along with him. He even gave a personal anecdote as to why he created the song “Isaiah” saying that a big part of the inspiration stemmed from his brother back home being shot.

Wale came about half an hour late, but the wait was undeniably worth it. Throughout his discography, Wale’s music has been known for its vulnerability. So it came as no surprise when the curtains were pulled back and he was revealed to be sitting on a throne of flowers. Throughout the show, Wale took the time to appreciate his audience and give roses to the audience.

Although Wale addressed the ladies in the audience multiple times and performed intimate songs such as “Caramel” and “Lotus Flower Bomb”, to simply call it a serenade would be an understatement: in essence it was an homage to blackness. “I make the music I want to make. I don’t do all that shuckin’ and jivvin’,” he said. At one point during his performance of “Tiffany Nikes” Wale’s screen featured a large image of Breonna Taylor, a woman whose death at the hands of Louisville police has yet to receive justice. To further instill a sense of camaraderie in the audience, Wale asked the members to raise their fists in the air as a sign of solidarity.

Indianapolis was fortunate to be able to host an artist such as Wale. The entire lineup worked to create an exceptional experience for the audience, and it was nice to be able to enjoy an evening such as this.

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