Brandon: Kendrick Lamar is a once in a lifetime talent, and I have been a fan of his nearly my entire life. His albums each mark times in my life, and you can often tell exactly what mood I’m in by which song of his I’m bumping at the time. This concert was my second time seeing him in person, and coincidentally it’s my second favorite concert I have ever been to.
Over the course of his career Kendrick has evolved and mastered the art of the live performance. Where so many others rely on backing tracks and lip-syncing he guarantees you a live show every single time. And he delivers. Gliding across the stage as rain poured down on him he hit every beat, rapped every bar and proved why there is fundamentally nobody else like him in the industry right now.
His rendition of “m.A.A.d city” consistently surprised me and left me wondering where he was going next. The various background performers and sets that he transitioned in and out of during the show, which were oftentimes seamlessly blended into the performance but never once dismissible. And his on stage rapport with SZA was not only flawless but at times mesmerizing.
Speaking of SZA, this was the Grand National Tour, and a big draw for me was seeing her live. I had never seen SZA live, and I had been predisposed to understanding that there would be a lot of lip syncing coming from her end of the concert. But not only did she perform each and every song live, she did it while dancing and putting on a deeply symbolic performance intertwined with the visuals of the displays behind her. 
Watching her physically and metaphorically bloom over the course of the concert into her final flying (yes, flying) form was easy enough to grasp but just layered enough to truly appreciate in the confines of a three hour concert. I’m a big fan of concerts using their formats to tell a story or incorporate the narrative of the album they’re touring, and SZA did just that with bugs, plants and more popping out of every aspect of her performance.
This was my first ever “double headliner” concert, and I think it’s going to be extremely hard to go back to one-man shows. The advantage of being able to tap in and out without losing a second of showtime was utilized to its fullest extent, and it made for a long and evenly paced concert full of hype moments and fun outfit/set changes that just couldn’t have happened if it was a typical single headliner concert.
If they haven’t made it to your city yet, or if you’re interested in traveling for a concert, I could not recommend this one enough.
Jackson: Kendrick Lamar is an artist that I have listened to for years and have followed his career pretty close. Attending the Grand National Tour in Seattle was easily one of my favorite events I have ever attended. From the on stage design to the energy both these extremely talented artists brought, they gave me my favorite concert I have ever been to. For those who know me, you may know I have only been to one concert (I’m so lame). However, it is hard to see anything topping this.
I brought up the energy that they brought to Lumen Field, but it can not be understated. It felt like the stadium was constantly shaking and despite the pouring rain, that didn’t stop Seattle from showing out to see some of the most popular faces of modern music.
The set itself was super cool and I enjoyed all of the changes to the set whenever SZA and Kendrick would alternate. Each song felt like it had its own unique design and to see SZA quite literally gliding in the air in front of the set was mesmerizing.
The performances of both were off the charts too. Kendrick knows how to rally the crowd up and actually rap his lyrics. I couldn’t think of one time in the concert where he may have forgotten a single word or anything.
Going into the concert, I knew every Kendrick sock almost word for word and was very familiar with SZA’s songs. However, in the couple cases where I couldn’t remember lyrics from SZA’s songs, it didn’t matter one bit. SHE SOUNDS SO GOOD. I was already a SZA fan but seeing her in person brought it to another level. She is so talented and I will be waiting for each drop from her from now on.
I also want to give a shoutout to my amazing little sister Gracie who surprised me with tickets to this concert for Christmas. This is something I will never forget and am so grateful that I got to see these two legends in person. If you have an opportunity to see them during this tour, DO IT!!!
