Madison Square Garden September 14, 2018 – Rolling Stone



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It was as if Childish Gambino had died last night. While his sturdy frame ran through golden LSD obelisks and drops of sweat on his back while "Redbone" was playing, he was wearing an exhausted man leaving behind a bullet he would never come back to recover.

At the start of the Madison Square Garden's first stop on the 'This Is America' tour, Donald Glover let the public know that it was the last Childish Gambino tour. And he kept his promise for the night: It's not a concert, it's a church.

Seductive, hypnotic and slightly horny, Gambino had all the marks of a sweaty Baptist preacher leading a congregation. A feature of the American Black Church is to portray the religious experience as an intermittent but deeply painful euphoria. Life suffers, but with enough singing, swaying, and trampling, you may receive a momentary respite. For a brief window Friday night, Childish Gambino seemed to represent a similar respite for Donald Glover. However, as he evolved in his setlist, it was obvious that the idea of ​​Gambino and his discography had become constraining. The success of the "This Is America" ​​tour lies in the fact that it is persuasive to a large audience that Childish Gambino deserves to be killed – and that there might be something better to find once they leave.

At the beginning of the show, Gambino stood silently on stage in one intense beam under the spotlight. "While we are together, promise me that we will teach children that we must be free," he said on a trail. Suddenly, the scene exploded in the "Algorythm" unpublished. The song is about rivers, everyone wants to "blow up like Moses" and move his body. It's a high-level idea – imagine The jetsons trying to recreate spiritual blacks by pumping the Drive soundtrack in their veins.

The dilemma that Gambino had to face in the transition from the first installment to the first act of the series was to juggle what the audience wanted from him and what he wanted to give the public. Songs like "Worldstar" and "Worst Guys", both from his 2013 concept album, Because the Internet – received the strongest and most dedicated reactions. Both songs were designed for the consumption of pop as many Wake up, my love is not, the relics of a bygone era in the artistic development of Childish Gambino. "Tall Stand" showed the scope and strength of Gambino's falsetto, and Glover seemed overjoyed to dance on "Boogieman", but none of these songs are meant for stadium singing.

The emotional climax of the show has occurred halfway. Gambino crouched and for a moment his religious zeal and magnetic energy dissipated to give way to a more personal reflection.

"I came to this place to see some of my favorite rap acts when I went to NYU," he said. "Many of them have not had the chance to play at such big stages. You do not remember those moments, but rap was like a little thing for a long time. Even when I was a kid, people would say, "Yeah, that's what kids do." Be yourself, because dreams come true. "

At the end of the show, "This Is America" ​​and "3005" presented contrasting ideas from Gambino's current and past dreams. Both had to appear on the setlist, despite their differences. "This Is America" ​​is one of the most singular songs to be number one on the Display panel Hot 100. It's a title inextricably linked to black viral music video that has been successful, but Gambino and the children's dancers who accompanied him on stage did an admirable job translating his visceral emotion into a set live. Seeing hundreds of black faces singing, "Get your money black man" with a sea of ​​whites gazing with wonder was a striking experience. On the other hand, the much less radical "3005" sums up the palpable nostalgia of the stadium. It's still a fan favorite, and this is the most obvious indication that Gambino had a pop album in him, before abandoning it to a more difficult music to define.

Over the past decade, Childish Gambino has been a funny guy with bad raps, a better rapper with jokes, a good rapper with breathtaking concepts and a pop artist posing as a soul singer. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not work. In front of MSG, the setlist of Gambino relied judiciously on those who did it, Summer pack, Wake up, my love and Because the Internet, and bypass projects like Camp and royalties.

The highlight of the night was a new song. Fans on the Internet call it "The spirits. "I can not explain the feeling, I'm alone / loneliness," Glover sang during a media hype. At the moment the chorus exploded in the chorus "We're shining more in the dark," it sounded like a revelation, a look at Glover's decision.

The "This Is America" ​​tour served as a symbolic burial. It's a success for Gambino's name and the hard-earned development he represents, but not for Glover's music career. "Spirits" alone was a glimmer of rebirth, and a welcome. Donald Glover is still looking for himself as a musician and is sure to give a glimpse of what is yet to come.

Set List
"Algorithm"
"Summertime Magic"
"I, the worst guys."
"II. Worldstar "
"Late Night in Kauai"
"Stand up straight"
"Boogieman"
"Have love"
"Riot"
"Terrified"
"It's like being in summer"
"Spirits"
"It's America"

Bis:
"Sober"
"V. 3005 "
"IV. Sweatpants "
"Redbone"

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