“Greetings from Utopia…” At 9:43 PM, after two hours of impatient waiting and a twenty-three minute walk from the car, I finally catch a glimpse of my illustrious king: Travis Scott. The crowd at Climate Pledge echo my excitement, erupting into a thunderous roar. As “HYAENA,” the first track from his recent album UTOPIA, plays, Travis materializes on stage. And so begins my ninety minutes in utopia at the Circus Maximus Tour.
At first glance, one of the most unique aspects of Travis Scott’s concert was the set design. Built to resemble a rock trail, the stage featured Easter Island-esque stone heads staring into the audience. But it didn’t just end there. When Travis performed the ethereal “90210,” giant floating heads with laser beams shooting out their eyes descended from the ceiling. During more hype tracks, such as “goosebumps,” “TOPIA TWINS,” and “BUTTERFLY EFFECT,” the beat drop was synced up perfectly with the pyrotechnics on stage. The effect? An exhilarating sensory atmosphere that was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Another incredible element of Circus Maximus was Travis’s stage presence. Despite only performing about two minutes of each song, he maintained the energy throughout the entirety of the show. It was clear Travis knew exactly how to appeal to the audience–when to have everyone put up their flashlights and when to have the crowd go stupid. Part of the vibe can also be accredited to his engagement with the audience. You know the laser beam heads I mentioned earlier? There was also a giant head-shaped parasail making its way around the arena. Multiple times during the concert, Travis pulled randoms from the audience to join him on the parasail.
The volume of the speakers was deafening. There came a moment where, after singing my heart out during the first three songs, I could no longer hear myself even when I tried shouting. Even hours after the concert, my ears were still ringing. My only regret from Circus Maximus was the lack of a special guest appearance. Correspondence with Tatler alum Zora S. ‘23 revealed that Travis brought out Playboi Carti to perform “FE!N” with him in Los Angeles, whereas other confidential informants mentioned Travis bringing out the undisputed legend NAV for “beibs in the trap” in Toronto. While my hopes were unfortunately crushed, there is always a next time.
Of the three concerts that I have attended (Kendrick, Travis, Lil Tjay), I think Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus might be my favorite. Of course, I am slightly biased. I firmly believe that UTOPIA deserves album of the year. Regardless, my life is complete having witnessed one of the greatest artists in this day and age do what he does best: get the crowd lit.
