On the second of two consecutive nights at a full Smoothie King Center, superstar Canadian rapper Drake did something unusual for an arena concert, hip-hop or otherwise: He instigated a moment of mass kindness.
He paused an already innovative March 7 presentation and instructed all in attendance to share a greeting with strangers. Per his request, bro-hugs, handshakes and high-fives broke out from the floor to the upper-level seats.
Sheepish smiles, and a newfound camaraderie, followed. That was certainly the case in section 114, where I sat — or rather stood, as did most in attendance all night.
In that moment, Drake demonstrated that he possesses enough swagger, confidence and charisma to compel thousands of strangers to break down the sorts of self-imposed social barriers they typically construct at concerts.
And he deliberately and specifically used his considerable powers to foster good. By forcing his fans to interact, he lessened the possibility of conflict and indirectly sent a message that strength and civility are not mutually exclusive.
As a former TV actor from Canada, Drake’s hip-hop bio is unconventional, but he’s one of the genre’s most popular artists. On each of his two nights at the Smoothie King Center, he drew approximately 16,000 fans (not the 18,000 figure he mentioned — that number exceeds the building’s capacity).
He sold in the neighborhood of 32,000 tickets in New Orleans — in the middle of the week, no less — despite rescheduling, and then revamping, the local stop of his It’s All a Blur Tour. Originally he planned to kick off the entire tour in New Orleans with a single show on June 16, 2023, alongside 21 Savage. That show was delayed then scrapped.
For the 2024 It’s All A Blur Tour, now subtitled Big As the What?, J. Cole replaced 21 Savage. And instead of one show, Drake booked two back-to-back nights at the Smoothie King Center. Initially scheduled for January, they were delayed to March.
So was it worth the wait? Based on the second of the two nights, yes.
Drake’s previous two headlining appearances — not counting his surprise appearances at patron Lil Wayne’s Lil WeezyAna Fest — involved technologically and visually stunning shows capped off by his outsized charisma and an ever-growing catalog of hits.
