Alternative rapper and singer Danny Brown sprinkled some stardust on Tempe’s Marquee Theatre this week. His headlining Stardust Tour was rounded out by Underscores and Femtanyl and it was a night of chaotic beats and helter skelter performance art.
Underscores- the stage name of singer April Harper Grey- strolled onstage, suitcase in hand, to a blast of hyperpop beats and flashing strobes. The set was a barrage of sound punctuated by Gray’s meandering vocals and whirling dances across Marquee’s wide stage. Her spot on this tour was backed by collaborations with Brown himself and her frenetic instrumentals had the audience shaking the rail with their headbanging and dancing along.
Frantic strobes and spotlights silhouetted Danny Brown’s arrival to the tune of “Starburst”, drawing huge cheers from the crowded room. The fans gave themselves room to let loose alongside Brown’s angular dance moves, limbs flailing to “Lie4”, “Dip” and the acclaimed JPEGMAFIA collab “Scaring the Hoes”.
Never once did the beats slow or the lights dim as Brown appeared mostly in shadow, with the sharp relief of the ever-moving spotlights illuminating his face for split seconds as he continued his whirlwind from the front of the stage to the framed box he spent much of the show performing from. Femtanyl and Underscores both made guest appearances on “1l0v3myl1f3!” and “Baby” respectively and gave strength to the creative bond these artists have formed on and off the stage. Brown ended the night with “25 Bucks” and “All4u”, sending a sweaty crowd out to steam in the chilly winter evening- and maybe with just a little more stardust in the air thanks to his wild and theatrical performance.
