Action Bronson & Earl Sweatshirt Return to Denver With Longtime Friends on the “ÑBA Leather Tour”

Written By | Dakota Pendleton

Old fashioned cartoons of viruses, medicine, and lungs looped behind Earl Sweatshirt as he performed songs from his Album “Sick!” released less than a month before the show. The album was written and recorded during the rise of the Covid-19 virus, a heavy time of uncertainty and confusion. Amidst the lockdowns and pre-vaccines, The Alchemist, Boldly James, Earl Sweatshirt, and Action Bronson’s music served as medicine for these rough times. With the opportunity to finally perform their music live, you could feel the pent-up energy they had brought to the stage. 

See more photos of Boldy James HERE

Boldy James opened first, gleaming with diamonds on his rings, watch, and necklace while wearing jeans that read “Rats to Riches”. While The Alchemist DJ’d, the duo performed songs from their collaborative album “Bo Jackson”.

See more photos of Earl Sweatshirt HERE

Earl Sweatshirt followed the act wearing a matching hoodie and sweats reading “Freedom Man”, “Truth is on its way” with a Pan-African flag in the middle. The outfit choice reflects Earl’s sentiments on music: “as far as Africa is concerned, music cannot be for enjoyment, music has to be for revolution”. Towards the end of his set, he built suspense before performing the song “East” off the album “Feet of Clay” by teasing the crowd and prompting his DJ to “hit that button.” The venue’s energy instantly rose at the first sound of that unique accordion beat. Between the three opening artists, they all perfectly set the tone for Action Bronson’s set. 

See more photos of Action Bronson HERE

After releasing “Only for Dolphins” in 2020, Action Bronson was stripped of an opportunity to tour the album due to the pandemic. The NBA Leather Tour had been a long time coming, and it was apparent that Action Bronson was happy to be back. Releasing his pent up energy, he kicked a water bottle into the crowd while crushing and throwing another and exclaiming “I’m back!”. In between songs he took time to interact with the crowd to sign vinyls, shirts, and even a shoe. He even brought a bag of gifts to toss into the crowd, with some landing on the balcony seats. Further into his set, he brought The Alchemist back out, celebrating 12 years of their friendship with a hug. The two performed Mac Miller’s “Red Dot Music,” which features Action Bronson, as a tribute. The high energy was kept throughout the rest of the show in performances such as “Actin’ Crazy” and “Baby Blue”.

 At the end of the night, fans exited the venue to a light flurry of snow, cooling them off from the venue that had been heated by passion, friendship, high energy, and music for a progressive world. The four artists will finish out “The ÑBA Tour” with 11 more shows concluding with their last stop in Tempe, AZ. 

 

Photos By | Dakota Pendleton