Action Bronson and Danny Brown at Skidmore: Recap
This past Friday, the Williamson Sports and Recreation Center at Skidmore played host to Danny Brown and Action Bronson.
Skidmore is becoming one of my favorite places to catch a show. They budget for bigger acts and put on a great show without stacking the bill too high. Two acts, with a brief segue from one into the other is really all you need sometimes. Shows with two artists hold my ever-shrinking attention span well, and a smaller line-up allows the artists to perform for longer, instead of allowing their set time to rush them. Also, shows at Skidmore have this awkward homecoming dance quality to them, in the best way, where you can detach and sit in the bleachers if you’d like, or join the crowd in front of the stage.
I’ve been familiar with Action Bronson for a while, and after a failed attempt at seeing him in Bushwick at a free block party that hit capacity, it was fun walking into the gym at Skidmore right as his set began. It was also recently announced that Action Bronson is putting out a joint album with Riff Raff, which is something to look forward to as their collaborations in the past have been exciting. Similarly, this week also marked the release of Danny Brown’s new album, Old, of which Brown was happy to perform many songs from.
Excellent sound quality at a rap show can be a tricky thing to achieve especially when you factor in elements of a live DJ and this was taking place in an auditorium designed for sporting events. Skidmore did a great job overall and the sound was even, regardless of if I was in the bleachers or right up front. At times I felt the sound catered to Action Bronson’s lyricism and delivery better, whereas with Danny Brown, I found that there were times where it felt like the DJ was overshadowing him.
Danny Brown has a polished ability to change up his flow and cadence and I found myself favoring his set over Bronson’s, which I was a bit surprised by, having been more familiar with Action Bronson prior to the performance. Danny Brown was also slightly more memorable on stage with his stage presence whereas I found Bronson to be more mellow in the spotlight. Danny Brown came to host a party and Action Bronson came to chill – I can appreciate both approaches and personalities through their performances.
Regardless of your artist preference, both artists on the rise and I’m glad they got to pay a visit to our area. Be sure to keep an eye on Skidmore’s events calendar for forthcoming shows and the occasional surprise line-up.
From Danny Brown’s new album, which is already being tossed prestigious awards such as “Album of the Week” from Stereogum and other media outlets:
