Ken Carson • July 31, 2024 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Logan Fang
Last Wednesday, Ken Carson stopped by Salt Lake City on his latest tour, A Great Chaos, to perform for a sold-out crowd of young rap enthusiasts. The 24-year old artist has emerged as one of the biggest names in a new era of rap-rock, alongside fellow contemporaries Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, and Homxide Gang. Ken pioneers a fast-paced brand of “underground” rap favoring unorthodox beats, electronic production, and discordant vocals. During COVID, Ken’s music gained traction among niche online rap cliques, thanks to its rebellious spirit and boundary-pushing sound. Now, his dedicated following has expanded, but his music still maintains its enduring appeal to rebellious youth. As expected, Ken’s performance attracted swarms of Utah teens to The Union Wednesday night.
Well before the show started, concert-goers began piling into the venue. Dressed in all black attire, with dark shorts and tank tops, fans appeared as though they were gearing up to attend a death metal show rather than a rap concert. Some attendees sported Carson’s merch from past shows, while others wore tops featuring arrays of chaotic graphics. As I entered The Union, fans were already congregating at the front of the house. The smell of weed mixed with an indiscernible number of colognes wafted throughout the venue. Security began doling out bottles of water to overheated fans at the front of the barricades. Fans stumbled out of bathrooms.
Almost 45 minutes before Ken even hit the stage, audience members began casting rolls of toilet paper and plastic water bottles across the crowd. Periodically, they would chant “We want Ken” in hopes that he would finally begin the show. Either way, the audience preoccupied themselves with moshing to the DJ’s music which played over the speakers. Security ushered away fans who already succumbed to the heat and began throwing up or passing out.
After what felt like an eternity, the curtains covering the stage design finally dropped to reveal a strange metal scaffolding resembling that of a construction site. The lights darkened while Ken Carson dashed out onto stage to the tune of “Hardcore.” At the beginning of each song, fog cannons erupted into the audience, commencing more rounds of chaotic moshing. For almost the entirety of his set, Ken Carson remained largely hidden in the back of the scaffolding with his back turned from the audience, so it was difficult to see him amidst the haze. Even from the crowd, I couldn’t make out where he was through all the fog the stage crew pumped onto stage. Regardless, the audience didn’t seem to mind. During top hits like “Yale” and “Freestyle 3,” young fans opened small circles for moshing.
While Carson’s performance heavily relied on autotune and a backing track, Ken’s chaotic stage presence had no trouble inspiring the audience. Fans took to scaling pillars and each other’s shoulders to get a better view of the stage. Nearly everybody in attendance was drenched in sweat by the time the pit descended into anarchy. At this point, Carson then moved through some of his equally rousing but less popular tracks like “Overtime” and “Nightcore,” which further fueled the chaotic atmosphere. He finished his set with some of his most well-known songs including “Jennifer’s Body” and “Fighting My Demons.”
Ken Carson’s music isn’t for everybody, but the young artist’s high-speed, adrenaline-inducing performances certainly work a crowd like no other. There are no breaks in the show either, so fans are prepared to commit to over an hour of pure chaos and jostling. It’s no surprise that with his animated stage presence, Ken has been consistently selling out venues across the country. As I witnessed that night, Ken brings an intensity to each of his performances that is sure to leave all his fans exhilarated and ready for more.