Kendrick Lamar have a dream, and he brought that dream to the Valley at day two of Pot of Gold music festival at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday night.
The set was bumping from start to finish and served as the perfect follow-up to Schoolboy Q's energetic performance. While there were a few bumps in the road, here are our top five highlights of an overall great setlist.
5. "A.D.H.D"
For his encore, Lamar went retro, pulling from his 2011 album "Section.80." His choice to go vintage with his final song seemed to please fans, as he teased the crowd about which "Section.80" tune it would be. Everything from "Rigamortis" to "F**k Your Ethnicity" was suspected, and when the hook from "A.D.H.D" came on, the crowd seemed everything but disappointed. After promising that his next album would follow the same principles that KDot has held since his beginnings, it was a fitting end to the set.
4. "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
With this anti-partying party anthem, spirits were high in the park. The crowd pulled up to Pot of Gold and drank, with the people next to us attempting to take shots along to Lamar's commands. While these feats of the human spirit were impressive, they were nothing in comparison to Lamar's stellar performance and sick video effects. While smoke filled the air and alcohol poured freely, Lamar's message of the dangers of peer pressure may have been lost on the crowd. However, a good time was had by all nonetheless.
3. "F**kin' Problems"
The crowd went nuts when Lamar performed A$AP Rocky's hit, "F**in' Problems." Fans were especially excited when Lamar went into his verse of the song.
Lamar, however, delivered his lines with much more grace by making A$AP's song his own. The whole park was clearly enamored with the song, with fans climbing onto light posts to sing and share in their common affliction.
2. "Backseat Freestyle"
The world wasn't safe from Lamar's Eiffel Tower when this "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City" favorite came through the speakers. He took a backseat to his own song, allowing the fans to own the moment and rap along hungrily. The crowd, all the way to those sitting up against the gates at the back of the park, was heavily invested in the song and the performance as they shouted out the chorus. As the second song of his set, "Backseat Freestyle" got the crowd pumped up and ready for what was to come.
1. "M.A.A.D. City"
Coming as the second to the last song before the encore, the crowd may have been tired but was more than ready for the moment we had all been waiting for. It's no secret that "M.A.A.D. City" is a favorite for Lamar to perform live, and he takes audience interaction in it seriously. After forcing the crowd to restart the song after the crowd's initial reaction was rated an 8.5, Lamar turned the heat up to 10. As soon as the opening hook rang out, the crowd leapt together in a flurry of fist pumping and water bottle shaking. It was the peak of the audience's energy in what was an overall lively performance, and we hope we gave KDot what he was looking for.
Despite the amazing performance, the night was not without its disappointments. Kendrick played nothing from his new album, even the already wildly popular "i" and "The Blacker the Berry." Kendrick came on late and ended early, and he and SchoolBoy Q failed to get on stage together and collaborate on the crowd favorite "Collard Greens" during Q's set. However, despite all of this, Kendrick still managed to rock the crowd's world for (not quite) 72 hours.
Keep your eyes open for The State Press's review of Kendrick's new album, "To Pimp A Butterfly," which drops on March 23.
Reach the Assistant Sports and Arts & Entertainment Editors fardaya@asu.edu and ezentner@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 and @emilymzentner on Twitter
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