The closing day of a music festival is always bittersweet, but considering the amount of steps I took during the first two days of this fest, I figure I’m content with the fact that The Summer Smash is not a four-day endeavor.
I was anticipating Sunday most as soon as the day-by-day lineup was released a while back. The jam-packed Sunday lineup provided fans with a dope range of artists to choose from. From experimental artists such as Zzz, 347Aidan, and Oliver Tree to huge hip-hop names such as Lancey Foux, Famous Dex, and Key Glock, the first half of Sunday thoroughly entertained us.
Ken Car$on put on one of my favorite sets of the weekend as he effortlessly conducted Lenny’s Tent Stage. I hadn’t made an effort to see him perform live prior to SS ‘22, but I’ll do everything I can to see him in the future as I was so impressed by his ability to control his boisterous music with a relaxed and confident demeanor. Ken’s discography translated wonderfully in a live setting.
The trio of Lil Yachty, 2 Chainz, and Playboi Carti was a legendary trifecta to close out this wonderful weekend of high energy music, buckets of sweat, and great memories. Yachty’s growth over the years has been amazing to watch and the viral video of his ‘21 Summer Smash walkout perfectly attests to his consistent and contagious energy as a performer.
Tityboi, or 2 Chainz, took the ‘SPKRBX Stage’ back in time as he ran through his legendary discography. Tracks such as “Watch Out”, “Birthday Song”, and “No Lie” still hit as hard as they did back in the 2010s. 2 Chainz is obviously a seasoned veteran at this point, he was simply cool, calm, and collected throughout his set. This was the first time I had the honor to see 2 Chainz and I can’t wait to see another live set from one of modern hip-hop’s most legendary artists.
Another artist I’d never had the chance to see live before this year’s Summer Smash was the infamous and highly-addicting Georgia-born Playboi Carti. Man. Anyone in attendance can tell you how special this set was as Carti positioned himself as some sort of deity on top of a large, pyramid-like structure for the first have of his set, before joining his two-part band at stage level. The electric guitar-infused tracks and transitions offered a new take on some of Carti’s best material; hearing both newer and older cuts such as “Sky”, “ILoveUIHateU”, and “R.I.P” live for the first time made for a simply special experience. Attendees used every gallon of gas they had left in the tank throughout this set as it was truly hard to find a large section of the crowd that wasn’t infested with moshpits. Playboi Carti was the perfect closer to the already unforgettable weekend.
