Tyler, the Creator Pulls a Diverse Crowd for His First Show back in MKE since 2018

Fans of all ages lined up outside of the Milwaukee arena anxiously waiting to witness Tyler, the Creator perform the first rap show at the Fiserv Forum since before COVID. The rapper had quite the lineup for the night with three different openers to get the crowd warmed up. Some fans discussed the highly-anticipated setlist full of songs from his “Goblin“ album, which was released in 2011.

“This was my third time seeing him, second time in Milwaukee,” said 21-year-old Tyler fan Onyx Brown. “I was at the Chicago show for his Igor tour.”

Brown’s love for Tyler has stemmed back since his 2011 debut, and they were really excited to hear him play “Yonkers” on the “Call Me If You Get Lost Tour.” Their years of support for the artist gave them a unique perspective on the rest of the crowd.

“Compared to older shows I saw a lot more diversity with the fan base,” said Brown. “Whether it was the GOLF WANG hype beasts or the TikTok fashion gurus, everyone showed up.”

GOLF WANG is Tyler’s clothing brand that he started in 2011 back when he was a part of the music collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them ALL or OFWGKTA for short.

Tyler has gained a lot more fans since his last show in Milwaukee. Transitioning from a smaller venue (the Rave) to the Fiserv Form showcased his continued growth as an artist. He even brought back rapper Vince Staples to join him, who was with him at the show in 2018, and throughout the Odd Future era. Teezo Touchdown and Kali Uchis also performed before Tyler on this tour.

“I liked the variation between the openers,” said Brown. “I think adding Teezo and Kali gave something to each kind of Tyler fan.”

Fans had been looking forward to the show with the dates marked on their calendars for months in advance, anticipating all four acts of the night. Kali Uchis brought more of an alternative R&B soul sound to the show to contrast with the rest of the rappers.

“This was my first time seeing Tyler, and I was really excited for it because Kali Uchis and Vince Staples were also performing,” said fan Claire Weber, 25, of Milwaukee. “Kali Uchis is an icon.”

Tyler, the Creator has always been known for his extravagant and visually stunning sets. After the openers, the lights turned off and slowly revealed Tyler rising up under the stage in a pastel blue Rolls Royce. The crowd watched in awe as he floated up into visibility. Halfway through the show, he rode a boat from the A stage to the B stage, which is where he performed the majority of his old music.

“I loved the set,” said Weber. “I was really impressed with the Rolls Royce and I thought the fireworks were super dope. Everything had a good pace. There were bangers followed by slower sweet moments.”

Being at the Fiserv this time around, Tyler had a lot more room to make the show more memorable.

“I definitely prefer the Fiserv over the Rave,” said Brown. “He had a lot more accessibility to the space on the floor to create a fantasy-like narrative. It was cool how he utilized two stages.”

Weber shared that she listened to Tyler a lot in High School, and she too noticed the highly diverse fan base.

“I was surprised by how many young kids were there,” said Weber. “I saw so many braces in the crowd.”

Regardless of age, Tyler had everyone jumping out of their seats as the show neared the end with his energetic performance of “New Magic Wand.” He rocked his way back to the main stage by boat as people reached to touch it. Mosh pits opened up on the floor while the people above sang until their voices went raspy. He certainly allowed for a great show for people who haven’t been to a concert since before COVID.

“It was nice to see so many people expressive and free,” said Weber. “I love being surrounded by people again.”