As the lights cut, a black-and-white video montage introduced artist Don Toliver riding a motorcycle in theme with the dark, rusty ambiance of the concert, preparing for his entrance on stage. Rapper Don Toliver took the stage at Bill Graham Civic Center in SF for the third show of his “Psycho Tour” on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The tour was centered around “Hardstone Psycho,” his most recent album release in June of 2024, but featured songs from his other albums such as “Love Sick,” as well as his features with other artists such as Travis Scott and Metro Boomin.
From the get-go, the audience could tell they were entering a Don Toliver concert. The venue featured two large biker inflatables alongside a large sign with his name, presumably in theme with the “biker gang” theme that Hardstone Psycho portrays, adding a welcoming element that many other artists don’t consider with the venue.
Before Toliver’s set commenced, the show consisted of three separate opening acts by artists Molly Santana, MONALEO and Ski Mask the Slump God. Santana’s thirty-minute setlist energized the crowd, inducting large mosh pits on the floor. MONALEO came on stage next, even bringing out her partner and rapper Stunna 4 Vegas for two tracks. Despite trying to hype up the crowd, the crowd’s unfamiliarity with her discography created awkwardness. Finally, rapper Ski Mask the Slump God took to the stage, bringing DJ Scheme as a deejay. Ski Mask the Slump God’s setlist hit a nostalgic nerve for fans, playing tracks from deceased rappers XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld as a tribute.
Still, the rapper was able to revive the crowd’s energy with some of his past well-known hits, riling them up for Toliver’s performance. Toliver knew what the audience was waiting for, and he delivered, coming out only 30 minutes after the openers, keeping the whole show fast-paced and energetic.
Toliver began the show with “KRYPTONITE,” the first track in “Hardstone Psycho.” Setting the stage with the grunge, heavy-hitting song and incorporating instrumentals like electric guitar and drums, Toliver followed with hits from his recent album, some notable ones being “TORE UP” and “NEW DROP.” Toliver treated the stage as his playground, dashing across the elevated platforms and fortifying his stature in front of a large circular cage. While sometimes he would sing from the top of the platform as he was overlooking the crowd, he would often come up front to be as close to the audience as possible.
While audience interactions were limited to when he would occasionally verbally control the mosh pits in the crowd, Toliver added unique elements that resonated with the audience rather than routinely performing his setlist. Whether it would be jumping up and down the walkway to hype up the crowd, pointing to audience members and adding in little dance moves to his more upbeat songs like “Too Many Nights,” or most memorably, adding his own unique verses to the ends of melodic songs like “After Party” and “No Pole,” Toliver was a treat to watch. The audience members themselves added to the mood of the show, jumping up and down to upbeat tracks such as “Tore Up” and “Smoke,” holding up their phone flashlights and creating large circles in the crowd to excite one another.
The show featured an extravaganza of technical elements, ranging from pyrotechnics like flame-throwers to smoke machines, complemented with a plethora of colorful strobe lights. Toliver went above and beyond with his songs, adding unique guitar solos and repeating popular verses that one wouldn’t get from simply streaming his music. The magnum opus of the show was one of the final songs, “BANDIT,” in which two motorcyclists accompanied Toliver on stage. As the strikes of the guitar chords reverberated throughout the venue, the cyclists took turns riding inside the large cage in the center of the stage until both of them rode at the same time. This took the audience by surprise but added a thrilling element to a heart-pounding song, as the audience cheered and jumped throughout the stunt.
Toliver transported fans to his pre-“HARDSTONE PSYCHO” era with a performance of hits like “CAN’T SAY” and “After Party.” The stage’s illuminance in magenta and purple hues brought vivacious energy that sparked the crowd’s excitement as the tracks appropriately allowed them to take a break from the more energizing tracks. Toliver played with this balance the whole night, incorporating hype tracks like “FIELD TRIP” and “FE!N” to add a sense of mania and excitability to the night.
Throughout the night, Toliver’s stage presence and accompanying props of the show made it worthwhile, creating an experience past just the setlist. The iridescent lighting appropriately adapted to each track created varying moods of excitement, tranquility and exhilaration. Toliver reminded fans of his wide discography, proving that he’s moved past the same predictability in his musicality and can deliver a new sound and presence through his performance.
RATING: 4/5
