Bro Safari Rocks the Factory
As the 9th leg of their Blackout 2014 Tour, Bro Safari and front man MC Sharpness stopped at Philadelphia’s own Electric Factory. The concert started out pretty slow and fairly empty, with less than a hundred people in the crowd as the first opener Love City DJs came on. After hearing his set, I can see why he didn’t attract a big early bird crowd. While his credentials seemed to suggest he was of high caliber (being direct support for big names such as Avicii, Diplo, A-Trak, Dillon Francis), his set fell flat in its attempt to get what little crowd there was excited. However, as the other openers began their sets, more and more people started filing into the venue, and more of the spectators began to pay more attention to the music.
After each opener’s hour-long set, MC Sharpness took the stage to introduce Bro Safari and was met with excitement as they passed glow in the dark, inflatable batons around. Bro Safari started his set with remixes of songs from some big names in trap music like RL Grime’s “Tell Me”, but he quickly transitioned into his originals and really got the crowd hyped. After playing most of the more accessible crowd pleasers from his recently released “Animal”, to the surprise of many fans he didn’t close out his set with his well-known “The Drop” but instead “Scumbag”. The entire crowd was shouting along to the Biggie lyrics in the hook and bouncing to the beat, proving this was Bro’s best way to close out his set at nearly 2 AM
As for the venue, on another note, you could say I was shocked upon entering the Electric Factory. On the outside it appears to be a decrepit warehouse but inside is filled with ambiance and cool modern vibes. Not only did the venue give off a cool aura, but also the staff. They were able to control the crowd and keep the experience pleasant for everyone but were also down to chat outside or bump along to the music with you. For my personal first experience in a Philly concert venue, it was a more than pleasant surprise for a girl used to small neglected sites in suburban New Jersey. Overall not only did the venue and it’s ambiance exceed expectations, but Bro Safari’s set did as it was well put together and kept the whole crowd amped throughout.
By: Liv Caggiano
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