All in Nouvelles

After a couple attemps, I saw Kid Cudi in concert in my hometown of Vancouver, BC (Rogers Arena). With two back to back cancelations your brain’s got PTSD and you expect it to be canceled again. When I received an email with some instructions about the show at first I thought it was to tell me that it had been canceled again.

Like if you know someone who is always late, well you will expect him to be late and you’ll be surprised if he actually shows up on time. It was some kind of I need to pinch myself moment to make sure that this was really happening. Buying a ticket for the show became a bit like buying a lottery ticket thinking that probably I woud’nt be winning anything but there is still that little hope of winning something still.

It was my very first time seeing him but not his first time here in Vancouver as he came multiple times before. The last one was in 2017 so almost ten years ago ! This was the biggest venue that he performed at in our city, you rarely see that usually it’s the opposite. They shrink the size as the years go by after their peak.

Funny thing with me is that I started listening to his music not too long ago. I would say five to ten years max. I did hear Day n nite back then but for some reason I never really heard much more of his music at that time. A beautiful late discovery for me, how or When it happened I can’t really remember…

Got into his first few albums but mostly the first three including Man on the moon: The end of the day Which includes Day n Nite ! So many good songs and features by none less than Kanye West and Common both from Chicago, Cudi is from Baltimore. I also like songs from all the other albums that he released since then.

He has a unique style and his music is very experimental and emotional. Lots of futuristic sounds with a mix of many different styles. I also heard the collab albums that he did: WZRD Which is amazing as well as Kids see Ghosts with Kanye West.

Cudi was part of his label Good Music for a while. Label from wich their collab album came out. He has one with Travis Scott as well but never been of fan of him so I was not too interested into listening to it.

Vancouver was part of the last five shows of the North American tour. They usually start here but when they don’t they end up finishing here as we’re the last big Western Canadian city.

I was still pinching myself when the first of three openers started. In case you didn’t know M.I.A. was an opener but got kicked out of the tour at the very beginning of it ! Was looking forward to seeing her but it did not end up happening.

First one was Chip the Ripper Wich has a few good songs with Cudi. I was quite happy to see his name meaning that they would probably do some songs together (and they did). To my surprise I did not like his set. My expectations were high as I really liked his verses on Cudi’s songs.

Just by himself didn’t do it for me, it reminded me of J Cole. I usually find that he is much better on the verses that he does on other people’s songs. I like his solo material too but it just seems like he’s better when he’s a featured artist. Some of the beats were good but I did not enjoy his flow and lyrics. Was still looking forward to seeing him later during Kid Cudi’s set.

Next one were Glkprty, they looked like some DJs as they were only playing music and not making it. With a name like that I get an image in my head of some douchebags from Jersey shore. Their set was okay and the lighting was nice.

I like when there is some variety from one opener to the other and to the main act as well and there was. Not too sure if they played some of their own songs or they were from other artists… Some of them were catchy and groovy. Would have rather see A-Trak who is there when they are not.

Big Boi (Outkast) was the last opener to get onstage. I had seen Outkast before but I’ve never seen either of them solo. I think he was a good pick to get an older crowd coming to the show like me ! Parents that can go with their kids and be both happy. I wondered if he would sing songs from Outkast then I said to myself that he had to (and he did).

I was really happy to hear all the classics, his set was good. He seemed to have some mobility issues. He was moving from side to side onstage but he seemed to struggle to move a little bit. Nothing wrong with that, I just hope he is ok. He definitely can still rap and has a very good stage presence. It does feel like it’s missing something (Andre 3000). I would say Big Boi is my favorite of the duo even though I like them both.

Then I got to finally see Kid Cudi, yay ! He started the show with Real ones never die which is a single that was released this year in 2026. I don’t remember hearing it before the show, maybe I did but it is a song that has really caught my attention. I’ve been listening to it since then and for some reason it sounded better in concert.

It was a good song to start with, lately the norm is to start with one or two hits. I like that he did not follow that trend and started with a newer song. It was nice when it was new because it was different but now it became the norm and although I think it is a very good way to warm up the crowd it does’nt have that surprise effect to it anymore.

Visually it was insane, beautiful lighthing, projections on screens at the back and on the sides. A nice little rectangular box that he sings inside of while he’s being projected on the screens behind him. We always see him very well. He seemed to be in a very good mood that night and gave a good performance. I would definitely go and see him back again whenever he’s on tour.

He played a lot of songs from the past to the present just by himself on stage. There was an intermission wich i had’nt seen in a while at a concert. I thought it was over and said to myself : what already ? Then Chip the Ripper joined him for a few more songs and that was it.

The crowd was good and really active, a couple were grinding on each other for the entire show right beside me ! Only song that I wish he would have done is Neverland from one of his lastest projects to come out so I will leave it right here :