Owning It.

For Some At The Bomb Factory Last Night, T.I. Wasn’t Worth The Wait.

As wonderful as headliners 2 Chainz and T.I. were in their respective performances at The Bomb Factory last night, the greater, disorganized nature of the night as a whole was enough to leave a bad taste in plenty of showgoers’ mouths.

Sure, it’s true that hip-hop shows tend to start way later than their posted times — and run late, too. But this one was way off — well beyond the usual tardiness we’ve come to expect from this type of show. Experience has taught us by now that there is nothing efficient about having 10 different openers coming out before the billed headliners, each performing only two or three songs and dragging out the undercard to well over two hours.

It’s excruciating. And, at last night’s show, the crowd wasn’t having any of that noise. By the arrival of the fourth opener, attendees began booing and yelling for 2 Chainz.

Take note promoters: If you cut things down to just two or three openers, fans aren’t likely to leave before the biggest name on the bill takes the stage.

Last night’s promoters didn’t have such luck. Instead, there was a pretty big exodus prior to T.I.’s set — as if 2 Chainz was the main attraction. Did people seriously think this was solely a 2 Chainz show? It’s really baffling, if so; T.I. is a legend, a true king of the South. How could you leave mid-show when he’s about to perform, even if it’s late and on a Sunday?

Some of the blame here should maybe fall back on the performers, though. It’s one thing to build hype leading up to the night’s main event — but building tension and stalling are not one in the same. Saying you’re about to bring out your homie, and then not doing so for at least another hour, isn’t a suspense-building tactic; it’s you stalling for your buddy or attempting to cover up what a disorganized mess the run of show is.

One opener that certainly deserves some recognition, though, is Fort Worth’s Go Yayo, who all but saved the show. Referring to himself as The Boom God, Yayo managed to turn an impatient and angry crowd into a dancing, fun-having, happy-to-wait bunch. In an undercard filled with lulls, Yayo truly invigorated his audience. That’s not a surprise; most times Yayo performs in Dallas, he steals the show, really making the most of the time he’s given.

If only everyone else involved with last night’s show exuded the same type of urgency in their own sets.

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