Atlanta-bred artist Kenny Mason stormed into Avondale Music Hall last Saturday for the second stop of his nationwide “Route 9 Tour” supporting his latest full-length ‘9’.
I walked in just as DavidtheTragic began his set… to say I was impressed with this young talent would be quite the understatement. When an opener can convince you of his talent on the first track of his set, it’s a great sign. He instantly gained a fan in me and proceeded to toss out a cohesive, energetic, and wildly entertaining set. Hearing tracks off his latest full-length ‘FRIED’ as well as some unreleased cuts off of his upcoming EP ‘everything is obvious’ was an absolute treat. Tracks such as “SPINACH”, “PARSLEY”, and “how many?” all caught my attention and I’d highly recommend you give those, as well as the rest of his dope discography, a few spins. His set featured ebbs and flows of energy, but his track list felt more like a smooth rollercoaster of energy as opposed to a turbulence-filled plane ride. DavidTheTragic was the perfect complementing force to Kenny Mason’s addictive energy that would eventually take over the night.
Much to the packed-out crowd’s excitement, Kenny’s signature logo suddenly appeared among a wafting layer of smoke… we all knew it was just about time.
Kenny proceeded to throw down a set that reminded me why I fell in love with the “underground” scene in high school. Even in the photo pit, I could feel the crowd’s blissful and juvenile energy radiating throughout the 600-cap room. To my surprise, I was permitted to shoot the entire show from the pit; to watch and capture the entirety of this set was a special and unusual treat. Kenny’s commanding presence behind the mic allows him to lead the dj-less set with ease and swagger. The group that showed out to Avondale was a mix of die-hards and casuals, but I can guarantee there wasn’t a single person in the room that didn’t leave as an elevated Kenny Mason and DavidTheTragic fan.
Echoes of dog barks and ruffs resonated throughout the venue all evening long and even though Chicago was the second stop on his tour, he confidently proclaimed that “tour had just started but (Chicago) gonna be the hardest fuckin’ crowd to beat.”
After opening intensely with one of his most metal-inspired tracks “NOSEDIVE” (feat. Jean Dawson), Kenny threw down some of my favorite tracks of his including “SLIP” (feat. Toro Y Moi), “333”, and “4 MY” (feat. Veeze), as well as a collaborative performance of “DIP!” with DavidTheTragic, and even a performance of his hit Dreamville collaboration “Stick”. This 25-track experience marked his first return since his 2022 Lollapalooza performance and the set truly had it all.
Hands down the best show I have seen in 2024 thus far. Don’t miss your chance to see Kenny if he rolls through your city.
See our photos from the memorable evening below!
Photos and Words by Jack Dombro
