$uicideboy$ with openers Ghostemane, Ramirez, City Morgue and Sematary perform at the Toyota Center on September 3 for the first time, and I did not waste any time getting tickets.
The duo began $uicideboy$ in 2014 on SoundCloud and YouTube where they gained popularity in the underground rap scene. Cousins Ruby da Cherry (Aristos Petrou) and Scrim (Scott Anthony Arceneaux Jr.) grew up together in Louisiana. I have been a fan of the underground rap scene for a couple of years, especially with trap metal, so I could not wait.
Arriving at the building, I could pick out the niche crowd of almost 70,000 who came to see $uicideboy$ and their openers. Everyone was thrilled, running–or walking fast to avoid trouble with the employees–to get to their section. Many talked about how great it is to see their favorite performer on the big stage. They compared their history of holding mini-concerts in small venues and abandoned basements.
Ramirez was the first to perform. He was one of the performances I was looking forward to, but I was disappointed with the audience for their lack of enthusiasm. It was early in the concert, and the audience was slowly coming in.
Ramirez gave the crowd an excellent performance and did a great job warming them up toward the end of his set for the rest of the concert playing songs like “The Dungeon” and “The Fo Five.”
The second act was Sematary with Haunted Mound. I was unfamiliar with their music but was open to hearing what they had.
There were mixed reactions from the crowd. You can pick out the fans, but some were waiting for the next set. I was amongst those that did not like the set. All of the songs were heavily auto-tuned. Sematary talked with the auto-tune on. Also, repetitive. Overall, the group put on an energy-filled performance, dancing and encouraging the crowd to cheer. Sematary thanked the crowd for their support and performed their last song, “Slaughter House.”
The third act was City Morgue, another duo with ZillaKami and SosMula, who I also did not know. They were second to most interactive with the crowd. SosMula fell off the stage, taking the light equipment with him. He said he was fine by raising his hands and continued the performance.
There was a funny moment where SosMula kept saying, “Open this s— up!” to the front of the pit and walked away at the beginning of every song. The crowd on the floor looked confused. Everything made sense when ZillaKami finally came to the front and said, “Open up the f——- pit!” where it finally clicked they wanted a mosh pit. City Morgue was a very entertaining opener with songs like, “CRANK” and “THE ELECTRIC EXPERIENCE.”
Ghostemane was the fourth performer, and I eagerly awaited his performance. As soon as he came out on stage, the crowd went wild. He interacted well, constantly encouraged them to open the pit, talked to them and even wanted the audience to crowd surf so they could touch his hair.
His goal was to have the fans act crazy and free while he performed. He mentioned Houston holds a special place in his heart.
The crowd was singing along with Ghostemane, and I could feel the vibrations of the beats sitting close to the stage. The singer’s energy was contagious; Everyone was headbanging along with him. Even his guitarist and drummer were exuding the same amount of energy. Ghostemane and his band put on an impressive set.
The drapes the openers were performing in front of drop down, revealing a higher-level stage with DJ Crystal Meth, who introduced the duo with the song, “Not Even Ghosts Are This Empty.”
Ruby and Scrim rose from below the stage, and everyone cheered them on once they came into view. The duos interacted with the crowd by having them sing certain parts of the song and initiate mosh pits and clashes.
the special effects and lighting gave me goosebumps. They were perfectly in sync with the songs. Fire spewed out at the back of the stage for hard beats, an intense experience for sitting close.
Scrim and Ruby had their unique styles of performing for the crowds. Scrim would dance to every song, matching the melody and beats while the audience cheered him on. On the other hand, Ruby would dance most of the time and focus more on his verses, giving it his all and even putting a spin on the end of songs with a touch of screaming.
Ghostemane returned to perform the song “Bloody 98” with the duo during the concert.
According to Scrim, the $uicideboy$ dedicated “5’N the Morning” to Houston, as Houstonians have supported them for a long time. The crowd cheered and sang along with the boys.
One memorable moment was hearing every person in the arena sing along and harmonize to the chorus of “Kill Yourself (Part III).” It was heavy and chilling. For their closer, they played one of their well-known songs, “…And to Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around.”
“First off, thank you guys for the constant love and support,” Scrim said at the end of the show. “Houston has been f—— with us for a very long time. We went from doing shows in a basement to an arena in Houston, it’s nuts.”
$uicideboy$’s performance was incredible. To avoid any preconceptions, I didn’t watch their previous concerts. The $uicideboy$ performance and everyone’s energy blew me away. It was truly a night to remember, and I’m looking forward to attending again next year — maybe even in the pit.
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