Marking his first No. 1 album in the U.S., Tyler quickly announced the “IGOR TOOR” that would soon follow, featuring Jaden Smith and Goldlink.
Story and photo by Thomas Iacobucci
A spotlight from a balcony overhead cast a circular glare onto the stage that illuminated a figure clad in a bright powder blue suit showing a bare chest, a blonde bob wig, orange sunglasses and sparkling white loafers.
Situated in the center was IGOR, one of Tyler, The Creator’s alternate personas.
IGOR, Tyler’s newest character in which he plays the title role, follows the conflict of a love triangle between the fictional IGOR, the man he’s dating, and the man’s ex-girlfriend, whom he’s still involved with.
The tension of this triangle permeates throughout the album, seeing an eventual resolution in the album’s second half.
He stood steadfast, staring out into a sea of fans that packed the Yuengling Center, not moving a muscle until the beat of his opening track dropped.
With the release of his fifth studio album, “IGOR,” in May, Tyler, The Creator received critical acclaim, debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
Marking his first No. 1 album in the U.S., Tyler quickly announced the “IGOR TOOR” that would soon follow, featuring Jaden Smith and Goldlink.
Stopping in Tampa for the first time in five years, the former leader of the Odd Future collective shared his latest album to the sold-out arena, overseeing the moshing youth in the standing pit and orchestrating the surrounding attendees as only a decade-long performer can do.
As the beat finally dropped on the show’s opening track, “IGOR’S THEME,” the intro from his latest album, Tyler sprang to life, furling his body across the stage like a ragdoll being blown in the wind.
The transitions within the opening songs, all hailing from “IGOR,” eventually led to a piano variation of “EARFQUAKE” – Tyler’s highest charting single from the album that landed at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
As the night continued, Tyler strayed into a version of himself from the past, unveiling “Yonkers” to the surprised crowd, allowing the patrons to sing along and lead the direction of the hit single from his freshman album.
This happened at varied times throughout the night, as Tyler plucked hits from his extensive discography, such as “See You Again,” and “Boredom,” both collaborative endeavors from his fourth studio album, “Flower Boy.”
Tyler’s stage presence alone was enough to keep the crowd standing on its feet, however, the production value of the stage set showcased just how far Tyler has come since his last performance in Tampa at The Ritz Ybor in 2014.
Though no outfit changes ensued, the setting of the stage altered after brief segments in the set, doing away with curtains that stretched to the ceiling and even throwing in a line of pyrotechnics when the beat dropped on one of the tracks.
Culminating with “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” the final song on “IGOR,” the near hour-and-a-half set ended as quickly as it began.
As he reaches the middle of his North American tour, Tyler will round out the remaining stops donning his blonde IGOR wig and keeping the dark, aromantic theme that drives his number one album.
