Spencer Wu
Staff Writer
Travis Scott lit up Santa Barbara Bowl quite literally in the first show of his Bird’s Eye View Tour. Equipped with a plethora of lights, lasers, and stage props, Scott brought his signature energy and hype to the stage. The concert transcended the blissful auto-tuned tracks, as the raw emotion and passion that the Houston rapper put into the performance made it more of an experience than just a regular hip-hop concert.
With his trusted DJ Chase B by his side, a significant portion of the set was from his latest full-length commercial album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Scott also sprinkled in oldies from Rodeo and even Days Before Rodeo, as well as other various features and remixes in an homage to longtime fans.
Standouts from the performance included “Upper Echelon,” “90210,” “Uber Everywhere” (he was featured on a remix of the Madeintyo song), and “Antidote.” The first two songs are older tracks that have very different effects on the crowd. “Upper Echelon” is probably one of the most energetic songs in his arsenal, and the lifelong fans recognize the struggle of his come up. “90210,” a slower track, showcased his live singing voice and mastery of auto-tune, and it got the entire crowd swaying and reminiscing.
However, Scott’s trademark performing style is crazy, insane, wild, and anything and everything in between. This was especially so during the latter two aforementioned songs. People were crawling up on stage, greeting La Flame himself, and subsequently stage-diving into crazy mosh pits on cue with the bass-heavy drops. On a side note, I really appreciate and commend Travis for not allowing those on stage to take photos or record while up there, instead telling them to “keep the rage going.”
The highlight of the show was the build up to “Antidote,” which was the second-to-last song performed. It was during this song that Scott literally unleashed the caged behemoth of a bird that was being kept under wraps the entire show. After “feeding” the larger-than-life animal, which I estimate was 20 feet tall with about a 50-foot-long wingspan, the mechanical beast made its grand entrance, accentuating the production value of the show. Even though he’s no ornithologist, Travis definitely tied the loose ends of his avian project in a creative and over-the-top way.
There were some faults with the show, although it isn’t the fault of Scott himself. Khalid was supposed to be the opener, but will instead join the tour in its later stages. Also, there were murmurs of Quavo from Migos linking up onstage to perform recent hip-hop staples like “Pick Up the Phone” or “Kelly Price.” Given that the trio played at Arlington Theater the following Friday, and that it was the first show on their tour, fans were eager to hear the auto-tuned duo make magic on the stage. Other than that, it was a relatively short concert, as Scott was only on for about an hour or so.
Nonetheless, for the time that he was on, he rocked the show. Whatever people have told you about the craziness of his concerts aren’t kidding in the slightest. He is lively, creative, and is sure to get you out of your seat and flying.