Live Review: MIKE, Wiki, & The Alchemist at Teragram Ballroom

From mosh pits to peace signs, Faith Is A Rock was a musical melting pot taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster. On November 30, headlining acts Mike, Wiki, and The Alchemist were accompanied by the opening acts Cold Gawd and ZULU at Teragram Ballroom.  Doors opened at 8 p.m. and given the lineup, the venue was a perfect fit for the coming performances. With the main auditorium separate from the two cafe bars, it created a space for audience members to both enjoy a chat and a snack while watching the concert live on a monitor. At 9pm on the dot, festivities kicked off with an opening performance from Cold Gawd. To set the tone, the stage was luminated by aqua blue lights with occasional strobing white lights and complemented with a black and white video collage in the background. The lighting choice in conjunction with the background encouraged the audience to seep into the music and feel at one with the surrounding sounds. Cold Gawd created a serene yet intense vibe by displaying their ability to tell a story using various tracks from their discography. They started off with medium intensity, transitioned to mellow tracks and wrapped up their set with more high energy songs. The indie rock group truly captivated the audience, it could be seen in the head nods and swaying bodies spanning throughout the crowd. 

Up next, ZULU made a grand entrance on stage at 9:45pm. To properly suit the coming set, the lighting was changed to a deep red to reflect the power in ZULU’s musicality. Throughout their set, ZULU created a sensational environment for a mosh pit to ensue. With tracks like “Music To Driveby,” “52 Fatal Strikes” and “On the Corner of Cimarron & 24th,” the audience was turnt to level 1000. In fact, only a few songs into their set, the mosh pit could be seen opening up, followed by a few crowd dives from off of the stage. ZULU fantastically relayed their energy into the crowd and eventually wore them out. The decision to have ZULU perform right before the headliners was 10/10 since the vibe would shift from extreme moshing to extremely laid back.

At 10:30pm, the anticipation from the crowd could be felt all around. Everyone was waiting for The Alchemist. Only a few moments later, another vibe shift was displayed, as the lighting changed from red to blue. Once all of the instruments were taken off the stage and replaced with a DJ booth, everyone knew it was time. The Alchemist started off his set solo, playing very mellow songs. This transition into the “sleepy rap” territory was suited by smells of weed, swaying bodies and a foggy atmosphere. Everyone was very enthusiastic about his recent collaboration with Earl Sweatshirt which could be heard in various conversations throughout the night. The Alchemist delivered some easter eggs by playing “allstar” and “All I Need.” After a few solo tracks, Mike and Wiki joined the stage. The crowd was both enthusiastic yet tranquil to see the full gang, which was a testament to the performance to come. At this point, the trio performed the namesake of this event, Faith Is A Rock. The raps went hard, you could tell Mike and Wiki were deeply connecting and engaging with the audience. As they rapped on songs like “Pray For Him” and “Be Realistic,” the duo would pour their heart out, speaking directly to those in the audience. As the night came to an end Mike, Wiki, and The Alchemist gave the audience a sweet goodbye with their final song “One More.”   

Setlist: 

Cold Gawd: 9:00pm – 9:30pm

1. Moving To California In March
2. This Doesn’t Have to be Forever
3. Ongoing Time Stabbed by a Dagger
4. Fool For You
5. You Should Be Fine Down There
6. Gin
7. On the Pale Silver Sofa

ZULU: 9:45pm – 10:15pm 

1. Music To Driveby
2. Things Ain’t Gonna Change
3. Lyfe Az A Shorty Shun B So Ruff
4. Now They Are Through With Me
5. 52 Fatal Strikes
6. For Sista Humphrey
7. Fakin’ Tha Funk (You Get Did)
8. Our Day Is Now
9. On the Corner of Cimarron & 24th
10. Do Tha Right Thing (And Stop Frontin’)
11. Where I’m From
12. Straight from Da Tribe of Tha Moon

Mike / Wiki + The Alchemist: 10:30pm – 11:30pm 

1. Allstar (ft. Earl Sweatshirt)
2. All I Need (ft. Earl Sweatshirt)
3. Stargate
4. Thug Anthem
5. Mayors A Cop
6. Bledsoe
7. Pray For Him
8. Odd Ways
9. Scribble Jam
10. Sentry
11. Be Realistic
12. Memory Loss
13. One More