Yung Gravy, the 28-year-old hitmaker behind viral smashes such as “Mr. Clean” and “Betty (Get Money),” made the third stop of his “Grits & Gravy” tour at the La Crosse Center Thursday night.
Earlier that day, fans had an opportunity to meet Yung Gravy at the Kwik Trip on West Avenue, where the first 50 people would get a gravy, chicken and mashed potato bowl signed by the rapper. The event grew anticipation for the night, as the entry line at the La Crosse Center snaked down Jay Street as early as 30 minutes before doors opened.
When asked if the night’s show would live up to Flo Rida and Waka Flocka Flame’s May outing, Daniel, an enthusiastic young fan near the center of the line, was optimistic. “Looking at the line right now? Probably,” he said.
While Yung Gravy, originally from Rochester, Minnesota, is touring off the success of his August release Serving Country, fans were attracted for a variety of reasons. Colin, a student from the La Crosse area, explained that he has been a fan for a while and mostly enjoys Yung Gravy’s past music. He said, “I’ve been a fan since… sixth grade, and he was in college… I listened to ‘Mr. Clean.’ He’s pretty chill.”
The night began with La Crosse area musician and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student DJ Pronch as people began to arrive. Having the stage to himself for the better part of an hour, he pumped up the energy of the crowd, playing hits from the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake and more. At one point, he transitioned from House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” a song with a unique connection to Wisconsin, into Kendrick Lamar’s summer anthem “Not Like Us,” which got a special reaction from the audience.
Next, Niko Slim took the stage with a relatively short set, he delivered several songs infused with his blend of melodic and hard-hitting rapping style to keep the night going. He ended his performance with an unreleased song, which was received energetically by fans.
Up next on the docket was Carter Vail, who first started recording music when he lived in Nashville, Tennessee but has since moved to Los Angeles, California. Vail, who is with Yung Gravy for the duration of the tour, gave fans a taste of his alternative pop-rock jams from across his catalog, including tracks from his July release 100 Cowboys.
The final performer before Yung Gravy was Bryce Vine, best known for his songs “Drew Barrymore” and “La La Land.” Taking advantage of his hour-long set, he used the whole stage to connect with fans on the floor and in the seats, pointing to and singing for a few lucky fans throughout the night, even singing happy birthday to a small group of fans near the end of his time on stage. As one of his songs was ending, he acted like he was leaving the stage, only to come right back for a grand finale, complete with his DJ playing the trumpet.
Next, DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip began Yung Gravy’s introduction by tossing Uncrustables sandwiches into the crowd before transitioning into a slideshow presentation about how to have the most fun at a Yung Gravy show. Shortly after, Yung Gravy entered the stage to cheers from fans before launching into his song “oops!”
Initially beginning his performance in a Yung Gravy-themed baseball jersey, he left the stage a few songs in and changed into an all-white cowboy outfit, which he wore the rest of the night. Tearing through fan-favorite songs from his collaborations with rapper bbno$, to country tunes from his newest album, to some of the first singles he ever released, he brought the signature style and swagger that people have come to know him by. In a unique moment, Yung Gravy and his team paused the music in order to pass out bottles of water to people in attendance before resuming his set. Continuing a trend set by DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip, Yung Gravy threw money and Froot Loops cereal boxes into the crowd while fans soaked up the moment.
Seemingly ending the night with “Betty (Get Money),” DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip got the crowd chanting Yung Gravy’s name after he left the stage. Yung Gravy returned and did an encore performance, tossing out roses to fans, even going into the crowd and handing them out individually before going back up on stage to finish the night off.
The event ran smoothly, thanks to the preparation by the La Crosse Center staff. “We do everything from loading all of their equipment in at 7 o’clock this morning, to helping them set it up for sound checks, to setting up the bars and getting everything lined up,” says Josh Krenz, operations manager at the La Crosse Center. When asked when the staff are normally done on a concert night, he said, “Around 2 or 3 a.m.”
Upcoming events at the La Crosse Center include Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler on Oct. 4, Theo Von on Oct. 11 and Charlie Berens on Nov. 1 and 2.
