Hercules' own HBK Gang plays The Warfield
/(Photo via hbkiamsu.com)
By Mikhil Chemburkar
Last Saturday night in San Francisco, The Heartbreak (HBK) Gang took 2,250 apmed-up concert goers at The Warfield on a one-way ticket to Shmop City. Liveliness was tangible on the warm night by the Bay, beginning with the line outside the venue, all the way to the very end of the event. Show openers (and Bay Area natives) Dave Steezy, Skipper, and Show Banga had the crowd on their side and feeling their high energy performances.
The chemistry on display during and between acts was unsurprising to anyone who knows the origins of the HBK Gang. The hip-hop collective, created in 2008 is mostly comprised of friends who met while going to Pinole Valley High School. It seemed that they knew just when excitement would peak because just at the right time, a wild Kool John came out with guest performer Lil Yee, delighting the crowd. By the time Iamsu! came on with his surprise guest Nef the Pharoah, the standing crowd more resembled an amusement park ride than a concert.
The crowded venue was engulfed by convergent vibrations from massive subwoofers, slapping speakers, and a sea of fans moving to hits like Mobbin , I Love My Squad, and Only That Real, just to name a few. Thankfully, Su played a number of songs off of older mixtapes Kilt (2012), Suzy 6 Speed (2012) and Million Dollar Afro (2013) along with showing off his newest album Kilt 3 (2016). I have been an Iamsu! fan for the past few years but to be perfectly honest I was disappointed by his newest album.
As someone who’s relatively familiar with his work, I can see how this concert would be disorienting for those unfamiliar with HBK’s music. For this very reason, I think The Warfield makes for a stupendous venue for any type of show-goer seeing most types of perfrormances. While floor admission tickets provide a more intimate environment, the multi-balcony seating allows for attendees to kick back, relax, and perhaps enjoy a beverage from the full-service bar. All in all, the biggest show of the #Iamsummer Tour was an extremely good time, and The Warfield was an awesome place to see it.
I fully endorse anyone to check out The Warfield, Iamsu! (and/or the rest of HBK Gang) if you are lucky enough to have a chance. Here are links to some of the gang’s Instagrams (davesteezy, k00lj0hn, showy4mayor, heartbreakskipper) (here is a link to upcoming Iamsu! shows throughout the Bay.) Enjoy!
