2019 Summertime Chi is right on the horizon, but the city got a chance to start enjoying the good vibes a bit early thanks to the first House Party at House of Vans Chicago.
The first party of the season boasted Vince Staples & Bas, plus Vonnie D as the opener. I caught the last couple tracks from Vince’s fellow LBC rapper, who had a lively and rowdy set. D closed her rowdy set with a tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle, which is always worth doing. As a guy that lives for Chicago, I gave props to Vince for always showcasing his city.
Once Bas hit the stage with that aura of being a good dude, and right from the jump you’re having a good-ass time. The set included material that’s helped him become one of Dreamville’s stand-outs, from the acclaimed Too High To Riot to the stellar growth he’s shown on 2018’s Milky Way. While I’m definitely not implying that it’s because of J. Cole, but two of the best parts of Bas’s set just so happened to be related to his fellow crew member. “Tribe” (which features J. Cole) absolutely rocked the indoor skate park and I was left with such a dope feeling from witnessing this one live. The only thing that topped that was when the Queens rapper welcomed a fan onstage to handle J. Cole’s verse of another one of their collabs.
The main event was Vince Staples, and the moment he hit the stage it was made clear just how much love fans have for the the Long Beach, California artist. Along with treating fans to a setlist that included stellar songs like “Norf Norf,” his collab Gorillaz “Ascension,” “Señorita,” & “Big Fish,” the visual art experience was quite dope too with those re-interpretations of the cover art of his music catalogue, from the Hell Can Wait EP to 2018’s FM! I particularly dug his live rendition of “FUN!” with all that energy it inspires and of course how it encapsulates so much of what Vince is about, and I get the same vibe on the art front with that paisley print piece.
Check out my photo gallery below.
This was the first of nine house parties planned to take place this summer featuring the likes of The Breeders, BANKS, Taking Back Sunday, & Anderson .Paak. More details (& RSVP dates) over at www.houseofvans.com.
