When Summerfest announced that Future, Big Sean and Migos would be playing a headliner show at then Marcus Amphitheater, it felt like a must-go for me. I’m a hip hop fan and enjoy all three artists at some level. A group of us guys dropped the ball on tickets early, but thanks to some friends in high places, we were able to snag some great free tickets over the weekend. I’m glad we did because the show itself could not have been better. All three performers brought a different excitement to the crowd and did the damn thing for Milwaukee and hip hop.

Hip hop does have a presence at Summerfest, but it’s never current. They bring in tired acts like Ludacris, T-PAIN and Nelly to drum up hip hop nostalgia, yet they avoid putting an act like Migos at the main stage. Part of the reason is crowd control after a near disaster took place years ago when Wiz Khalifa performed at the height of his success to a jam-packed Miller Lite Oasis. It’s unfair, but Summerfest does not take as many risks in all genres due to things like the Khalifa night or the infamous Imagine Dragons deblace. That said, this should be a staple for years to come.

Future was the headliner, but Big Sean acted like he had a chip on his shoulder through his whole performance. The Sean Don is a big name, but he didn’t get top billed. He looked like Aaron Rodgers out there mad about his critics and performed his ass off. He had a great set with a full band that really made him standout. Future did everything you wanted from him. A loud ass performance with full songs, some features and finished strong with a ‘Fuck up some Commas’, ‘March Madness’ and his current hit ‘Mask Off’. Migos did get the short end of the review by some, yet I’d argue the crowd did not have the same energy it did an hour later for Big Sean. Migos are energy guys and need that to be on their game.

Summerfest saw a near full house for the show, and I would love if this is a consistent thing going forward. Could you imagine rolling out a lineup next year of Chance The Rapper, Travi$ Scott and Khalid or something to that effect? The crowd would have the same sort of energy and bring the house down.

CHarlie.