Live music review: NBA Leather Tour at Stubb’s warmed chilly crowd

On the chilly Monday evening of February 28, the sun set and fans lined up outside the gates at Stubb’s to open, eager for the highly-anticipated, sold-out NBA Leather Tour featuring an all-star lineup of Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist with Boldy James.

Alchemist opened the evening with a banger DJ set, establishing the tone for the night.  The outdoor amphitheater was packed.  By the time Alchemist approached the wheels of steel, the densely-packed audience was stacked almost to the back gate. 

Various old-school beats spun as Al steered the crowd with hype-up chants. The veteran producer’s longtime collaborator, the Detroit-based MC, Boldy James, made his entrance and immediately stirred up show goers with his swagger. 

The crowd was captivated by performances from the duo’s Bo Jackson and Super Tecmo Bo albums and others plus a fascinating freestyle section. 

The approximately 45-minute opening set was stellar and there is no doubt that the veteran rapper made new fans that night.

Earl Sweatshirt followed Boldy, kicking his set off with “Riot!.” Throughout his performance, he managed to flip between high-energy, emotive numbers, to mellow vibes with fluidity.  

Between songs, Sweatshirt interacted with the crowd, pointing out individual audience members, and engaging in humorous, chatty banter.  His manner and approach are in so many ways the personification of his music.

Earl Sweatshirt set list

“Riot!”
“E. Coli”
(The Alchemist cover)
“The Bends”
“Mo(u)rning”
(Black Noi$e cover)
“Off Top”
“Cold Summers”
“Ontheway!”
“The Mint”
“Molasses”
“December 24”
“Tapped In”
“Old Friend”
“Tabula Rasa”
“MTOMB”
“Vision”
“EAST”
“Loosie”
“2010”
“Grief”
“NOWHERE2GO”
“Shattered Dreams”
“Titanic”
“Fire in the Hole’

Finally, Action Bronson took stage, rocking a plain, white tank top, fists pumping in the air with animated energy.  As he kicked things off with “Dmitri,” fans rapped along to the set list opener. Singalongs continued throughout the remainder of the performance. 

The food and travel television icon incorporated humor in poised fashion, energizing the crowd with his colossal stage presence.  Not missing a beat, Bronson had the audience exhilarated, emphatically nodding their heads and throwing their hands in the air. The entire venue was euphoric.

The “White Bronco,” followed by “Terry”  section of the show was the peak of the performance while the Queens MC continued to ramp up the crowd’s energy throughout his show-closing thriller of a set.

All artists split their stage time evenly, and they each stamped their respective performances with their own unique flair. But what made the show most memorable, is the level of joy each performer takes in doing what they do.

The night of music and festivities came to a conclusion with Bronson’s cover of Mac Miller’s “Red Dot Music” in tribute to the late , hip hop lyricist, sharing the stage with all performers of the evening for the cover song.

 Action Bronson set list
“Dmtri”
“Capoeira”
“C12H16N2”
“The Chairman’s Intent”
“Golden Eye”
“Latin Grammys
“Mt. Etna”
“Bonzai”
“Live From the Moon”
“White Bronco”
“Terry”
“Arnold & Danny”
(with The Alchemist)
“Baby Blue”
“Easy Rider”

Encore
“Red Dot Music”

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