Before the doors at Rick’s Café even opened at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12, an electrifying feeling permeated the night air. As the line grew longer, so did the buzz of anticipation. Yung Gravy was in the building, and dozens of fans waited eagerly outside for a chance to catch a glimpse. They got the chance to see him up close and personal — and maybe even eat a Froot Loop from his hand.
Bouncers funneled concertgoers through two doors, moving past the pool tables to the back room where they could gather around the stage. The welcoming country atmosphere of the bar was cut by the vibrant lights and piles of equipment on stage. Even those seated at tables in the very back of the room were close enough to see the curls on Yung Gravy’s forehead.
Ryan Handran, one of the bar’s owners, spoke about the experience he hoped to give fans. In a smaller venue, he said, it is much easier to create the kind of intimate experience that would otherwise require taking out a second mortgage. The audience is what matters most to owners Ryan and his wife, Meg Handran, so they make it their mission to create the most vivid, dynamic experience for the lowest cost.
“We really focus on being a music venue that focuses on Mississippi State students. Their attendance is really important to us, so we always work with whoever we’re bringing to make sure we keep the ticket prices as low as we possibly can,” Handran said.
When 8 p.m. rolled around, Yung Gravy’s good friend DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip kickstarted the evening — complete with all ten ‘I’s. He captivated audiences with a PowerPoint dedicated to the good people of Mississippi. From Kermit the Frog to Pine-Sol, DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip gave a nod to well-known items that got their start in Mississippi. When he landed on a picture of the school up north, the entire crowd booed until he changed to an image of Mississippi State University.
After 15 minutes of entertaining the crowd with snippets of popular songs, DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip introduced the opener, a young Arizona rapper called Pertinence, and his DJ.
From the moment he stepped onto the stage, Pertinence brought an eccentricity and vibe that audience members would never forget. Between popular songs like “DROPTOP BEATER” and “WORLD KEEP TURNING,” the rapper kept the energy going with his crowd interaction and tricks. At one point, he even stripped down and began dancing in his underwear.
When asked about how it felt playing at such a small venue, Pertinence spoke about the people who show up to small-town events.
“I think when you get [to] cities out here, it’s people that are showing up cause they love the music and just want to have fun,” Pertinence said.
After Pertinence left the stage, DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip took his place until it was time for Gravy. He continued to rile the crowd while they sat in anticipation of the main attraction. The moment DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip stepped offstage, the title sequence for the real show began.
At 9 p.m., moments before Yung Gravy took the stage, a cinematic presentation played on the screen. With soothing ‘50s music crooning in the background, the audience watched as images of Yung Gravy being pampered rolled across the screen. When the video came to an end, the man himself walked on stage in his fluffy cheetah-print bathrobe.
Beginning with his song, “Magic,” he launched the crowd into a night of his signature antics. From his robe slowly coming off during his hit song “Mr. Clean” to a romantic candlelit dinner with fans that lasted several songs, Gravy kept the audience high-spirited all night.
A large part of the Yung Gravy experience comes from his interactions with fans, and the intimacy of the venue made this even more accessible to those in the audience. Fans holding Snapchat messages on their phones could easily be seen from the stage, and the artist was able to respond to one in particular.
With fans holding up their requests to see Yung Gravy’s girlfriend Ari Kytsya, the artist decided to FaceTime her to let them say “hi.” After setting his phone up so she could see the crowd, Gravy launched into his song “Gravy Train,” having his girlfriend call out and the audience respond.
While he pulled his usual stunts like bringing Pertinence back out on the stage to throw Froot Loops to fans and handing out roses at the end of the concert, Yung Gravy had some things up his sleeve that were specific to Mississippi State. After disappearing momentarily, the rapper came back onstage wearing a personalized MSU baseball jersey.
Pulling out a cowbell to ring it, he seemed delighted to find that all he had to do to cause the crowd to erupt was to ring that bell. He continued to play with his new toy, ringing the bell whenever he wanted a little bit of extra energy.
As the night came to a close, Gravy took his final bows and rushed offstage. With the energy still so high in the room — and the DJ still on stage — the crowd began to chant for another song. Yung Gravy bounced back onto the stage and ended with “C’est La Vie.”
Cheyenne Ellison, a junior majoring in elementary education, struggled to find words that she felt accurately described the night.
“It was lively, and honestly, beautiful. I think that so many people were here, and it was such a fun experience. I was not expecting this many people to be here for a Wednesday night, but it was packed out,” Ellison said.
As the crowds dispersed back through the glass doors, Pertinence stood outside taking pictures and chatting with fans. The night ended with music trickling into the parking lot and smiles on every face.
