Ken Carson Takes Over Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago
Written and Captured By | Adrian Cruz
The energy at Huntington Bank Pavilion started building well before Ken Carson took the stage, with Prettifun kicking off the night and setting the tone for what was to come. His set included tracks like “Rollacoasta,” “Feel Like Uzi,” “Ice Cream,” “Moon and the Stars,” “Dead First,” and “Light,” before finishing with “unfazed.” His opening performance gave the Chicago crowd its first taste of the energy that would continue throughout the evening.
Next up was Xaviersobased, who kept the momentum moving with a nine-song set of his own. Starting with “red snapper,” he moved through tracks including “100,000,” “Struggle Gang,” “Softer,” “love hate,” “MANNEQUIN,” “Need Me,” and “Party At My Place.” He eventually closed his portion of the night with “double whammy,” making way for the evening’s headliner.
When Ken Carson finally took the stage, he wasted little time getting into his set, opening with “deaf note.” He followed with “possession” and “gynecologist” before performing “edm,” one of multiple live debuts featured during the night. The beginning of the set also included “outofmybody,” “wrist,” and “Blakk Rokkstar.”
One of the most notable parts of Carson’s performance was the amount of new material mixed into the set. Along with the live debut of “edm,” Carson performed the new track “scrape” live for the first time, followed later by another live debut with “ghost.” Rather than relying entirely on familiar favorites, the new material gave Chicago fans an early look at another side of Carson’s evolving sound.
As the performance continued, Carson reached deeper into his catalog with “Money Spread,” “It’s Over,” “Lose It,” “addiction,” “wheredoistart,” “i need u,” and “Succubus.” The latter portion of the set brought out some of his most recognizable tracks, including “Me N My Kup,” “Yale,” “Rock N Roll,” and “Freestyle 2.”
Carson continued the final stretch with “ss,” “overseas,” and “Fighting My Demons,” before moving into newer tracks “50k” and “swag jack.” He ultimately closed the night with “roxy reynolds,” bringing an extensive set to an end.
With Prettifun and Xaviersobased warming up the stage and Ken Carson delivering a set that balanced fan favorites with several live debuts, the night at Huntington Bank Pavilion showcased both the music that built Carson’s following and the new material shaping his next chapter.
