Death Grips Live in Toronto

by Dan Magorrian on December 5, 2012

If I could use one word to describe trip-hop hardcore rappers live show, it would be Epic; which is Ironic because that is the name of the record company that just dropped their contract.

After releasing their second album of the year NO LOVE DEEP WEB to the public, for free, and before the scheduled release date, Epic understandably dropped the ambitious duo.

Mykki Blanco opened the show in the shadowy Wrongbar in downtown Toronto. This crossdressing, Nikki Manaj-esque rapper frantically danced around the stage, spewing out infectious dance raps. The energy exploding from Mykki must have made him hungry, because halfway through his show, he grabbed a piece of air from the ground and ate it on stage... weird, but what you would expect the opening act for Death Grips to be like.

MC Ride and drummer Zach Hill took the stage shortly after and stared down the convulsing crowd for five minutes before exploding into their opener "Come Up and Get Me�." As soon as the first notes hit, the crowd began to sway and push relentlessly to the point where it was a constant struggle to stay standing. DG played a frantic non-stop set, seamlessly transforming from one song to the next without even acknowledging the crowd. The minimal security and barely 2-foot stage allowed for copious amounts of stage diving, and I myself ended up sitting on stage for half the show after I lost my shoes. The duo played a good mix of songs from each of their albums, with notable tracks being "Get Got", "No Love", and "Guillotine". Death Grips' live performance really allows Zach Hill to show off his drum skills, as he improvised explosive fills into each song. Musically, I don't know if I can justify this show being one of the best I've been to, but it definitely was one of the strangest and most fun performances I've ever experienced.

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