Odd Future
Auditorium Shores, Nov. 6The official schedule had Anarchy Championship Wrestling booked six hours earlier on the opposite end of Auditorium Shores, but the Odd Future set resembled a chaotic, high-flying death match with some hip-hop thrown in for good measure. With projectiles flying in all directions (a dildo landed onstage during the set), group leader Tyler, the Creator caught a water bottle to the chin, paused for one second, then launched himself off the stage like Superfly Jimmy Snuka to deliver an apparent elbow drop to the offending party. The show stopped for a few minutes before the barely controlled chaos continued and the Wolf Gang crew elevated the art of stage diving to absurd – and dangerous – heights. Whether stalking abruptly offstage during its official South by Southwest showcase earlier this year or allegedly assaulting a photographer at last month’s Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, Odd Future sets have become little more than spectacle set to a soundtrack of dope beats, violent horrorcore, and lyrical nihilism. They urged fans to rush the stage for closer “Radical” as the chorus screamed, “Kill people, burn shit, fuck school.” Is Odd Future a bunch of little sociopathic shitheads? Sure. Would I miss their next show in town? Never.
This article appears in November 11 • 2011.
