Denzel Curry is for the people. That much was clear during his show Friday night at the Salt Shed, where a bevy of teenage and 20-something fans were bouncing off the walls (literally) from start to finish. After a number of up-and-coming openers, Curry finally took to the stage at around 9:50 p.m. to much fanfare. The artist — who is on tour to promote his latest record, “King of the Mischievous South” — is something of a showman compared to his peers. Curry is a star, sure, but he’s also a performer with a deep connection to his fans. His audience interactions are aplenty, sprinkled liberally between each song. He understands the instincts of his fans. Certain songs, like his cover of “Goated” or the propulsive “Sked” and “Hit the Floor” made prime fodder for a group of fans who were itching to let loose and go crazy.
Curry delivers, again and again, never letting up. It makes for a raucous night. Clad in a neon green tee, long-sleeve undershirt and a hat, Curry makes for an unassuming figure. Yet when the first notes of the apropos track “Act a Damn Fool” begin to play through the Salt Shed’s speakers, Curry unfurls an alter ego that’s all parts fiery and spirited.
That energy never lets up through the night, whether the audience is rapping along to the track “Ricky” or perhaps getting ready to mosh during “Still in the Paint.” At one point, he joked and asked if the paramedics were ready and insisted on not starting to perform again until the audience was primed and ready to go. It is that energy, that heart, that devotion to the fans that kept the show moving through the hour-long set.
At one point, a woman threw a bra on the stage and Curry wore it on his head. Later, a young fan named Cynthia joined him on stage to rap along to “Hot One.” It seemed like she knew about half of the lyrics, or maybe she was just a little nervous to be in a packed room of a few thousand folks. Yet the crowd and Curry alike were encouraging, a testament to the solid attitude and enthusiasm of the community he’s curated.
Interspersed throughout the set were a number of covers and additional surprises. On “Diet,” which samples Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off,” Curry glided atop the beat with ease. He also covered “First Night,” a Lyrical Lemonade track. And he was even joined on stage by Kenny Mason, one of his openers, for a rowdy performance of “Sked.”
In the end, it was a rap show, but also something more frenetic and wild. Curry takes his audience through a journey, one that’s musical as much as it is physical. It’s a riotous punk spirit that pushes the crowd to not stay so wrapped up in their phones and live firmly in the moment. Jump up. Dance. Mosh. Shout. Be free. Stop worrying so much about everyone around you and just have some fun.
Britt Julious is a freelance critic.