A Night of Live Music, Soirees & Surprises: G-Eazy’ “When it’s Dark Out Tour” in Denver, Co'
He stood in the background removed from the social hour before him. Jet-black hair slicked back into a
James Dean pompadour. A red light casting an ominous glow onto a fraction of his stone cold face. The rest remained in shades of black… His friend leans over to me through the crowd so only I can hear him say, “That’s why they call him the Villain”.
This
film noir-esque character was born
Gerald Earl Gillum, but is most recognized by the name you see broadcasted in lights.
G-Eazy has grown from overlooked to overbooked, kicking off 2016 as one of the most hyped artists of the year.
Bay Area born, but for the last 5 years his home has been either a mile high or rolling on wheels, taking on the suitcase lifestyle of a world-class performer. His 2015 tour dubbed ‘
From the Bay to the Universe’ seems more accurate now than ever as this talented young star sells out shows world-wide, spreading the
G-Eazy fever to all ends of the earth.
His new album ‘
When It’s Dark Out’ sports some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including features from
Chris Brown and
Big Sean to
Too $hortand
E-40. Perhaps in this new year, the era of
Almost Famous will finally be replaced with Gerald’s dreams of
Rolls-Royce rolling and his smiling face on the cover of the
Rolling Stone. The talent is there. The fans are there. This celebrity crescendo is headed to the top, wherever that may be…
But with all that fame comes the inevitable divide; a divide between the person you were, the life you lived, the people you loved and the people you can trust. This distance is what inspired songs like his fresh hit single ‘
Me, Myself and I’ with
Bebe Rexha, which highlights how fame leaves you in irony; the more people you’re surrounded by, the more isolated you become. The chart-topping multi-millionaire doesn’t deny that his success has transpired into multi-personalities, but rather he embraces it. True to his
Gemini alignment, the artist possesses Twin personas: there’s the humble, authentic ‘Gerald’ and then there’s his socialite alias ‘The Villain’ who seeks to carouse and arouse. The key is finding the balance between his humble beginnings, hustling mix tapes to friends, and the roller coaster lifestyle that accompanies the rich and famous.
“I do have sorta have split personalities. Gerald’s the really good guy, he’s down to earth, really helpful, he’s got a good heart. Um, G-Eazy is the villain. He’s very sinister, and he’s got super powers and he doesn’t give any fucks. He’s a bad dude.”
I got a taste of the Gerald divide when I found myself on the
Hennessy and
Möet side of a red velvet rope at the
When Its Dark Out after party at
Epernay Lounge in
Denver. In one swift swoop, I went from casual conversation to wrung up by the neck, like clothes on the wire, by one very colossal hand. This impressive grip belonged to
G-Eazy’s bodyguard who was a close resemblance to
Biggie off the
Born Again Album. The crisis was soon averted once he realized I wasn’t one of the fervent fans trying to break in, who in his defense, were truly frightening like a
Stonescrowd at the
Altamont. Screaming, clawing and crying to simply touch a leather sleeve or
Snapchat the man of the hour. No harm no foul, but future caution was duly noted.
G-Eazy’s lyrics play him up to be an individual of wild confidence and ego, but when the lights go down and the crowd settles he’s just Gerald at the end of the day. When on the tour bus and out of the public eye, his presence is unassuming and down to earth. The dark and dignified persona he insinuated earlier in the evening was like day and night in contrast to the bashful friendly giant standing before me. We casually talked about our hometowns like he’d just stepped off public transportation and not off the stage of a sold out stadium.
The insatiable hunger for success is a storm brewing on the horizon for every celebrity. From the crowd, we look at the spectacle on stage as more of an object and less of a living, breathing individual. It’s easy to judge like the snap of a whip, but if you were
Atlas carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, whiskey waters and quick women would seem like a necessity during the long nights and world tours. Now that you’ve placed yourself in
G-Eazy‘s
Retros you can absorb his lyrics to a different degree with a new found appreciation.
Follow
G-Eazy along the
When It’s Dark Out Tour to watch this champagne supernova shoot from the Bay to the Universe.