Maybe it’s the lingering thoughts of alcohol, the smell of weed that surrounded me, or the drunk people fighting, the overcrowded environment made last Thursday an enjoyable night with Riff Raff.
Let’s be honest, you really shouldn’t expect much from a set that’s been crowded inside a humid college dance club. Despite the fact it has a capacity of around 250 people, Jody put out energy that could take over 2,500. One of the downsides to the night was not the obnoxiously drunk fraternity brothers or jocks, it was the slippery floors. This was not the only night they were wet either, they were the same slippery tripping hazard for the enthusiast twearker every time I’ve been inside. Apparently this collective group of 18 to 22-year-olds have a hard time keeping the sacred cup of liquid from spilling onto the floor. They have yet to master the secret of walking through crowded areas while still being able to drink with elegance. College is full of peasants, I guess.
Arriving at 10:30 PM, partially intoxicated already, we had another hour before Riff Raff was scheduled to take the stage. During that time we were kept entertained by a DJ who told the crowd every 15 minutes that our cheers would have been acceptable in any of the clubs in our rivals city, but it was subpar for the night. I said earlier though, it was a small, overheated college club, the response wasn’t getting to Coachella levels of excitement ever. Maybe that’s because of the lower amount of alcohol and stimulants being consumed, but the screams and cheers got a few decibels higher after he asked. After a mediocre song selection, it wasn’t until around 11:15 PM when the DJ finally played Bobby Shmurda’s incriminating Hot Nigga. Between my girlfriend who didn’t understand why everybody suddenly started jumping up and down in sync and the random pal next to me who joined me in song, I started to realize the diverse fan base in attendance that night. We were all there for the 220lb plus, Fruity Loops-esque colored hair Riff Raff.
I cheked my phone when the music got quieter and the lights got a little dimmer: it was now 11:37 PM and something was going to happen. The song drops and we’re greeted by a Jabbawockeez lookalike sporting a neon green zip up hoodie, and a red mask that he wore for the remainder of the show. Judging by my semi-intoxicated memory it was around two minutes after he stopped rapping that we all heard a familiar voice come over the speakers. Now with the time reaching 11:47 PM, 17 minutes late, the crowd reacted positively. My guess it had something to do with the “Jody! Jody! Jody!” chant they’ve been doing for the past 30 minutes.
Jody blazing through the select collection of songs that were worthy of a crowd singalong once the DJ drops the volume, it was going well. Shouting out the likes of Action Bronson and A$AP Rocky-neither of who were in attendance-was only the start of crowd rowdiness. 45 minutes into the show and Jody Highroller is still going strong. Having a majority of the club rap along to the lines “seven butt-nakeds sippin’ drank in my sauna / only fuck with hoes who rock Dolce & Gabbana” was the pinnacle of the show. It was the moment when unity seemed to be real, everybody was in this together, everybody was getting Jodified. Closing the set off with the always relevant, TiP TOE WiNG iN MY JAWWDiNZ, I will forever remember the Thursday night I spent eating Burger King after seeing Riff Raff.
