UTG PHOTOS: Funk Volume Tour in Grand Rapids, MI (10/6/15)

October 14th, 2015

Benjamin Howell

Caution! The Funk Volume Tour is coming to a city near you.

On October 6 the Funk Volume Tour stormed through The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI with a powerful message and an impressive crowd for a Tuesday night. This was the first time I had been able to catch almost all of the Funk Volume crew in one place and the two-hour journey to see them was well worth it. Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, DJ Hoppa and Jarren Benton were all present, along with a handful of supporting artists and musicians.

First up was a local artist that goes by the name of Chubbs. Relatively little was known about Chubbs prior to his performance but he made for an excellent opening act. Falling right in line with the high-energy, aggressive lyrical style of the Funk Volume crew, it was relieving to see some local talent that was able to set the pace for such a notorious national act. I look forward to seeing more from Chubbs in the future.

Next up from the FV crew was Jarren Benton and the maniac percussionist, Alien. When Jarren Benton takes the stage it’s like getting hit in the chest with a boulder. He explodes in a ball of light and a lyrical onslaught that forces you to question your entire existence. Accompanying him was a massive shadowy figure on drums, known only as Alien. The chemistry and energy of those two performing together was terrifying. The lights went low and Jarren sprinted across the stage to work the crowd, all while Alien was running circles around his drum set beating the hell out of everything. Having a live percussionist with that much energy gave the entire performance an incredible level of depth and really made the entire show more enjoyable.

“D-I-Z-Z-Y,” the crowd began to chant as the lights dimmed and the smoke cloud in the room reached an intoxicating level. Dizzy Wright is no stranger to smokers worldwide and with the release of his latest album The Growing Process, Dizzy is on the fast track to greatness. Offering a much needed relief from the madness we had just endured, DJ Hoppa and Dizzy supplied some chill beats and good vibes all around. Towards the middle of the set, Dizzy called for a self-appreciation smoke, to reward all of the smokers who made the trip out to support Funk Volume. The smokers obliged and the security respected his request to refrain from tackling people for a song. At this point it was like being in the eye of the storm – all was calm, for a moment.

Glowing in the dark, we see the eyes of the beast and the crowd goes nuts as Hopsin takes the stage. Offering a mixture of heart-wrenching emotional songs of dismay and confusion over his new found fame and spiteful comedies like “Ramona,” Hopsin has a unique way of working a crowd into a frenzy. The whole Funk Volume crew seemed to have a blast performing together and the synergy of them all being together in one place is going to show the world that Funk Volume have become a massive force to be reckoned with.