Concert Review: Hyperpop Kings Glaive & ERICDOA
Walking into Baby’s All Right was like walking into a culture that I had yet to fully immerse myself in: hyperpop. It was a unique blend of Hip Hop, Punk, and Emo-Pop; combined to give a banal sense of anarchy. Seeing teens donning pink-grandma laced blouses, graphic tees, short-shorts, and knee-high socks, all at once, while jumping into a mosh-pit….I was….fascinated. It was an aesthetic that I never attributed as either “fashion” or “rock n’ roll,” but it embodied a raging sensitivity that Glaive and ERICDOA spoke to.
It kind of sucks to be young. I don’t know if I am supposed to say that because when I say that to my family they ignore me. For them, in the “back-end” of their life, I am a pillar of promise. Moreover, for Latino parents, their spiritual journey was survival, our spiritual journey is of finding meaning, which to them is a luxury. We are a generation that can even DREAM of purpose, while they were just trying to find a path to safety. Yet, according to my Twitter Feed, between social injustice and Climate Change, my “promise” might not be fulfilled. Add on the inherent depression, anxiety, and fear that goes into building al life you do not know if you want, and you get the “perks of youth.” Yet, as ERICDOA rapped about hating himself, with the audience knowing word for word I realized this new conglomerated genre, deemed “hyperpop,” was about making you jump on all your darker sentiments as if you were on an emotional pogo stick.
Each baseline dropped like a car jumping off a cliff, and ERICDOA loved it. Between him and Glaive, each having a 30 minute set, there was an immediate feeling that he loved the public cheers. He grinned more than the Cheshire Cat; getting high off their applause, and his joy was infectious. Meanwhile, Glaive was not behind in being in awe of their audience. Tossing his sweatshirt to the crowd and entering it like a swimming pool; changing the dynamics between performer and audience. If ERICDOA was the hype-man ready to party, Glaive was the broken heart ready to rave. In essence, ERIC, or rather DOA, was hyper and Glaive was “Pop;” combining in energy like a valve for their fans to vent their frustrations. In a way, their show was hyper-emotional.
The crowd absorbed Glaive as if he was drinkable, and he absorbed his power as if it was surprise. I am kind of mesmerized by the new wave of “emo” artists that span across genres, but treat the stage as if it is a twitter space they logged on, which makes sense; they are influencers as much as artists. Hence, to make their show feel like a real-life gathering of an online following was pretty cool because we say a lot on the internet that we mean and do not. Glaive & ERICDOA meant every word. For More Info On Glaive Click Here.
