With rays of deep crimson illuminating the stage and the stage curtains finally pulled back, chants of “We want Ken” slowly faded out as Opium-signed artist and Atlanta rapper Ken Carson commenced his “A Great Chaos: Leg Two” concert at the San Jose Civic on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Being his second headlined tour, Carson’s 22-track setlist primarily featured tracks from his 2023 release and third studio album, “A Great Chaos,” as well as a few from his debut and sophomore albums.   

Right on time with the promised show start of 8 p.m., opening act and Atlanta deejay DJ Moon riled up the concertgoers with a diverse 75-minute set of well-known hip-hop and rap songs. Moon initially started the set with hits from the late 2010s such as “20 Min” and “Look At Me!” by rappers Lil Uzi Vert and XXXTentacion respectively. The upbeat and syncopated tracks propelled the hyperactive audience to form vicious mosh pits on the floor. Moon further encouraged this behavior by playing aggressive and recent hits “FE!N,” “Stop Breathing” and “Type S—” by rappers Travis Scott, Playboi Carti and Future to close out his setlist. 

After giving concertgoers a much-needed 15-minute break from the opening deejay act, Carson made his way onto the Civic stage at 9:30 p.m., announcing his presence by standing atop an industrialized metal rectangular stage. Met with eager applause, the Atlanta rapper started his show with the track “Hardcore,” a piece that indubitably represented the hardcore behavior of the audience that night. The fierce and emphatic rhythms from the tracks that followed such as “Lose It,” “It’s Over” and “Freestyle 3” repeatedly sparked harsh eccentric mosh pits, forming a sense of togetherness within the crowd. 

Throughout the show, there was never a moment of boredom and the audience’s compulsion to immerse themselves in dance invigorated the atmosphere. Regardless of where you stood on the floor, mosh pits were a recurring scheme, breaking and reforming multiple times during each track. Fans repeatedly screeched “Open it up” and forcibly pushed back others to initiate the mosh pits. For long-time and expectant Carson fans, this frenzy perfectly matched Carson’s bold energy with songs like “vampire hour” and “Me N My Kup.” The unexpected addition of pyrotechnics satisfyingly paired the intensive chords of these tracks, and others part of the setlist, jolting fans.   

While the stage illumination and effects were a thrilling addition to the concert, newcomer Ken Carson fans had to try and survive the rowdy environment to continue enjoying the hour-long concert. Pushing, shoving and tripping over fans scrambling to get back up to avoid getting trampled was a repeated occurrence that may have been far too overwhelming for Ken Carson fans who didn’t anticipate the chaos. This was especially conspicuous during the show as lines wrapped around the first floor for water fountains, and fans desperately caught a breath of chilly air in the smoking area to counteract the heated temperatures from the seemingly hell-on-earth environment inside. 

Although the atmosphere was nothing short of untamed ferocity, the entire concert experience was built upon this wildness. Carson had a limited physical presence during the show, simply playing his tracks and occasionally yelling a line or two from the verses of each of his songs. No song featured a solo performance from Carson, and some songs that were cut halfway were further disappointing. Most notably, Carrson’s hit track “ss” concluded before the song’s beat dropped into the second half, resulting in obvious discontent from the audience.         

Overall, “A Great Chaos Tour” is a guaranteed experience of mania, but the satisfaction of the show depends on one’s tolerance for it. For fans who crave the chaos and amusement from moshing to Carson’s enthralling album, the tour falls nothing short of providing energy, which is needed to make up for Carson’s raucous performance. For those who can’t take it, the balcony still provides a satisfactory view and invigorated surroundings, just more tamed. Ultimately, the show is an ode to moshing culture, one that won’t easily fade out as heavy metal increasingly influences certain hip-hop factions. 

RATING: 3/5