Fighting the crowd at the sold out J. Cole show at Cleveland’s House of Blues wasn’t exactly how I expected to spend my Tuesday night. I’d spent the last few days laid up with 19 staples in my leg, trying to keep from hurting myself any further. However, when the call came at the 11th hour, not only did I find my way off of my couch, but I managed to strap on my Nikes and limp my way to the car with some semblance of speed.
I knew something was up as soon as I exited the parking garage and could hear the bass booming from across the street.
The sidewalk in front of House of Blues, which normally houses a pack of kids who’ve stepped out front to smoke cigarettes, was absolutely empty, as was the foyer. I stopped by the will call desk, picked up my ticket, and headed through security.
The remaining guard looked at me quizzically when I responded that I hadn’t been inside yet. I took my hand stamp and wrist band, and opened the door into the main area. I was immediately surrounded by a haze of pot smoke, and I knew this was about to be a good time.
J. Cole is a hell of a performer. He commands the stage, and has a presence that makes him seem 10 feet tall, but also has genuine warmth about him with his between song banter. I’ve seen performances by hometown heroes Kid Cudi and Chip Tha Ripper, and even they didn’t hold the audience in the palm of their hands like Cole did.
The crowd went wild when Cole performed his smash hit “Who Dat,” which turned into a call and response, with the crowd yelling “Who Dat” with feverish tone. Cole finished out his set by with extended version of the ending track to his 2010 mixtape Friday Night Lights, “Farewell.”
As Cole went through the verses, he took the chorus to shout out different people in the audience. Pretty girls, dudes waving their hats in the air, and all other manner of audience members found themselves elated as J. Cole described them, and then simply said “Farewell.” It struck me as a rather classy way to end the set.
One of the things that stood out the most was Cole taking the time to introduce his backing crew, giving each of them a chance to shine. From a beautiful classical-styled piano solo to the turntable trickery of his DJ, it became obvious very quickly the talent with which Cole surrounds himself, and his respect for those with whom he works.
At the closing of his set, a birthday cake appeared to celebrate the keyboardist’s birthday, and cupcakes were shared with a lucky few up front. The whole time, the smile on Cole’s face seemed to get bigger and bigger, almost dwarfing his other features. I found myself as enraptured by this man as the rest of the crowd, and wanted nothing more than for the performance to continue until the late hours.
So here’s to you, J. Cole. If you continue to write and perform with the kind of love and passion you showed that night, I’m sure you’ll go far.
