by Lil Dicky via Wikimedia CommonsLil Dicky Afterparty
with Mitchell Lawler, Conch, and Doom Squad
Friday, February 24
Union Hall
While little Lil Dicky did find his way back onto the stage late into the evening of his concert’s afterparty, it was the local opening acts that stole the show.
On February 24, Lil Dicky hosted an afterparty for the concert he put on earlier in the night at Union Hall. He followed local artists Mitchell Lawler and Conch, DJ’ed by Lot D, and upcoming local stars Doom Squad. Lil Dicky himself took the stage quite late into the evening late, and goofed around for awhile, all in all, making for an entertaining evening.
The opening acts of the concert were incredibly good, much to my surprise. When I first saw Mitchell Lawler and Conch — two very white local rappers — take the stage, I couldn’t help but cringe, expecting the worst. But wow, was I wrong. Both guys were fantastic, with each song they played improving on the last. They were insanely energetic and constantly engaged with the crowd. By the end of their set, I had put aside my initial disdain of the group that would never otherwise would have crossed my radar, and they become one I wanted to add into my playlists. Doom Squad followed them with an equally energetic and surprising performance.
Both groups did a lot to change my original opinion that “no local or Edmonton-based group could actually be good.” If both acts are representative of the quality of local talent Union Hall can attract, I strongly urge you to check out and support shows featuring such aspiring local groups.
Lil Dicky capped off the evening with his “performance,” which consisted of three songs and a bunch of fucking around with the crowd. He already did his main set earlier in the night, and he made it clear he wasn’t interested in a repeat, opting to just have some fun with the afterpartiers. The man’s undoubtedly hilarious, with antics that ranged from throwing vegetables into the crowd, to slow dancing with a fan on stage, he never failed to make the rowdy crowd laugh. But the main thing I took away from his goofballery was how much money he made. The crowd was literally just giving him money — he must’ve made about $150 in 10 minutes. Clearly those in attendance weren’t all that interested in following Dicky’s advice and saving dat money.
Overall, while Dicky was entertaining as a comedian, my main takeaway from the afterparty was the desire to support more local talent. Mitchell Lawler and Conch and Doom Squad’s sets were pleasant surprises and made me reconsider my prejudices again Edmonton bands, especially rappers. I say go out and support local — buy their albums, wear their merch, and tell your friends about them. They probably need the money more than Lil Dicky.
