Concert Review: Chance The Rapper (Red Hat Amphitheater)

BY MAUI CABRAL

I’ve written a lot of these reviews. I’ve photographed a lot of shows. Usually, I can sit down afterward and talk about the lights, the crowd, the performance, the songs and what it was like standing behind the camera. But this one is different. This one wasn’t just about Chance the Rapper. This one was about family. It was about faith. It was about celebrating life while remembering someone I wish could’ve been standing there with me. And somehow, on a night that could’ve been incredibly difficult, I found myself surrounded by exactly the people I needed. A big, crazy family we called “Front Row.”

Before Chance took the stage, LA Reezy had the job of getting Red Hat moving. Reezy brought a different kind of connection to the night. He brought energy, personality and the kind of confidence an opener needs when thousands of people are waiting for the headliner. Rapping songs that felt like short stories, Reezy brought us along for a reflection of his life. The beauty, the struggles, everything. From the heart.

But as the sun disappeared and the venue continued filling up, you could feel that something big was coming. We geared up for Chance. Chance the Rapper has always existed in an interesting space. Chicago born and raised, Chance emerged independently with 10 Day before Acid Rap turned him into one of hip-hop’s most talked-about young artists. Then came Coloring Book. And with it came something hip-hop doesn’t always allow itself to embrace so openly: gospel, choirs, faith, gratitude, hope. The feeling that hip-hop and church didn’t have to exist in separate worlds. Chance brought them together. And hearing that influence live is something completely different. There were moments during this show where I almost forgot I was at Red Hat Amphitheater. The voices. The instrumentation. The gospel influence pouring through the music. Thousands of people singing together. There was something incredibly beautiful about it. Not preachy, not forced. Just uplifting. You could look around and see people smiling at strangers. Hugging each other. Singing with their friends. Dancing with people they’d probably never met before that night. It didn’t feel like thousands of separate people attending a concert. It felt like a reunion. And for me... It actually was.

Concert photography has brought a lot of people into my life. Some stay acquaintances. Some become friends. And then there are the ones who eventually stop feeling like friends altogether. They become family. That’s Front Row. And on this particular night, having that family around me meant more than I think most of them probably realized. Because this night carried another meaning for me. A much heavier one. This show landed on the six-year anniversary of losing my brother. Six years. It’s strange how a date can carry so much weight. You can go about your life, work, laugh, create, photograph shows and keep moving forward... but certain dates never become ordinary again. I knew exactly what day it was when I walked into Red Hat. And I knew exactly who was missing. But instead of spending that night alone with those thoughts, somehow I ended up surrounded by family. Camera in my hand, ny wife beside me. Music filling the air. And Chance the Rapper standing onstage singing songs filled with faith, love, gratitude and life. I don’t think I could’ve planned a better place to be. That’s what this night became for me. A celebration. Celebrating Chance. Celebrating music. Celebrating the people standing beside me. And most importantly... celebrating my brother’s life. I could’ve spent the night thinking about everything that was lost. Instead, I found myself thinking about everything he left behind. Memories. Stories. Love. Pieces of him that don’t disappear just because six years have passed. And surrounded by Front Row, listening to gospel pour through Red Hat Amphitheater, something about that felt right. Really fucking right. There were moments when I raised my camera and realized I wasn’t just documenting another concert. I was documenting a night I was going to remember for the rest of my life.

That’s something photography has taught me. A photograph isn’t always important because of who’s standing in front of the lens. Sometimes it’s important because of everything happening behind it. The person taking the photograph. What they’re feeling. Who they’re thinking about. What that moment means to them. Nobody looking at these photographs years from now may know what was going through my head when I pressed the shutter. But I will.vAnd that’s enough. Chance gave Raleigh something beautiful that night. Hip-hop. Soul. Gospel. Joy. Community. All wrapped together into a performance that felt less like something we watched and more like something we were invited into. And that’s what I’ll remember most... not a particular lighting cue. Not one specific photograph..Not even one particular song. I’ll remember the feeling. Looking around Red Hat Amphitheater and realizing that on a night when I could’ve felt incredibly alone… I wasn’t. Not even close. I was surrounded by family. A big family called Front Row. I’ve photographed shows that were heavier. I’ve photographed shows that were louder. I’ve photographed artists I’ve dreamed about having in front of my camera. But very few nights have meant something to me quite like this one. Six years without my brother. One beautiful night celebrating his life. Surrounded by people I love. Listening to Chance the Rapper fill Raleigh with music rooted in gospel, hope, faith and gratitude. Sometimes life puts you exactly where you need to be. And on this night... I was exactly where I needed to be. For Chance. For Front Row. For my brother. For family. For love. This one was bigger than music.

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JOSH "MAUI" CABRAL

Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!

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