In today’s world of hip hop- full of face tattoos, drugs and violence- Bryce Vine is a breath of fresh air. He brought his nearly sold out headlining tour to Club Red on Wednesday, packing the room with ecstatic fans of all ages.

Local rapper Futuristic opened the show as a surprise guest, playing to a sparse crowd as fans struggled to get through the security line. He was followed by California group 7715, who played a short set before the evening’s main event.

Up-and-coming Seattle rapper Travis Thompson has risen dramatically from an unknown feature and then opening for Macklemore just two short years ago. Since then, Thompson’s star shines ever brighter with this direct support slot.

The room was much more crowded at this point in the evening, a diverse group of fans pushing for the front. Thompson got them all riled up, singing and rapping while his DJ played hype man for the set. With the recent release of his new EP, Runaways, Thompson celebrated the positive reaction by adding new songs to the set. The front row knew the words, and screams of “I love you” echoed between songs.

Thompson even dropped the verse that broke his career- his feature on Macklemore’s “Corner Store”. He’s young, enthusiastic and very talented, making him a stellar opener for The Headline Tour.

Excitement built to a frenzy as fans shouted for Vine to take the stage. Flashing lights, a DJ and a live drummer started things off. Vine bounded onstage, his voice immediately drowned out by the audience singing “On the Ball” and “Sunflower Seeds” back to him.

Vine is enormously talented, rapping and singing in turn. His stage presence was reminiscent of Super Duper Kyle and he drew so much love and positivity from his fans throughout the night. Not even two songs in and the girls were flinging their lingerie towards the front as Vine danced and smirked at the crowd.

Vine announced his new album would be released in summer 2019 to thunderous cheering, so he also sprinkled in a handful of new tracks, most notably “Fireside” and “La La Land”. DJ Lucky Day, arm in a sling and all, played trumpet on a handful of songs, including more unreleased material from Vine.

It may have been chilly outside, but the air was steamy inside Club Red. Vine had already sweated through his clothes, putting everything into a performance worthy of this headlining run. “Nowhere Man” had everyone screaming and singing along and Vine closed his set with “Glamorama” before returning for the encore.

The volume managed to get even louder for the three-song encore. Everyone in the room knew the words to Vine’s breakout single “Drew Barrymore” and he ended the night with the much-demanded “Sour Patch Kids” (also bringing back Lucky Day and his trumpet for the end).

Watching Bryce Vine us akin to being at the party that no one wants to leave. He fully whipped his audience into a frenzy, with fans leaving sweaty, happy and already looking forward to his next visit to Arizona.  

Story and photos by Olivia Khiel