SDSU student uses fundraising site to bring G-Eazy to San Diego

G-Eazy’s fans are undoubtedly loyal. In the middle of the rapper/producer’s tour, San Diego State University student Tyler Kistler wanted to bring G-Eazy to San Diego for a night. The rapper agreed to perform if more than 600 tickets were sold, and Kistler was more than up for the challenge. The college student turned to Tilt, a crowdfunding app, to market the tickets, eventually selling out the House of Blues San Diego. All the profits went toward nonprofit organization Music Beats Hearts.

Thanks to Kistler’s efforts, on May 7, Gerald Earl Gillum, better known as G-Eazy or Young Gerald, performed at the House of Blues. Before he took the stage though, rapper KR opened for his set with smooth and clean raps that got the entire crowd excited, setting the mood for the night. KR rapped his carefully thought out and melodic beats from his l$OLyf3 mixtape, and the audience couldn’t get enough.

The stage was then cleared and a drum set added. As the crowd settled, waiting for the main event, a slow murmur filled the room. No true introduction was made; the lights quickly dimmed, music filled the venue and G-Eazy emerged from the center of the curtains and opened with “Downtown Love” from his 2014 album These Things Happen. He waved hello to his fans and rapped excitedly as the audience became a frenzy before him. Dressed in all black with his hair slicked back, G-Eazy lived up to his title of today’s hip hop “Young Elvis.”

G-Eazy dedicated part of the show to women — both those who had supported him from day one and his fans. As a thank you, the rapper performed “Lady Killers,” to which women in the audience began to throw their bras and panties onstage, their version of roses.

G-Eazy teased his fans throughout the show by sporadically lifting his shirt before finally taking it off completely for the last quarter of the show. The clean-cut rapper who first opened the show with slicked-back, greased hair and a leather jacket ended the night with sweaty locks and nothing but black pants. The show made a similar transition, slowly turning from a concert into full-blown party. Members from the rapper’s team sprayed water out onto the crowd, beach balls were thrown from the balcony and the music kept getting louder. The venue echoed with lyrics being rapped back to the performer while he sung crowd favorites including “Tumblr Girls” and “Let’s Get Lost.”

G-Eazy ended his performance at the House of Blues with his most popular hit, “I Mean It,” before rushing off stage with just a quick goodbye. Fans swiftly left the venue, most ending up at the FLUXX after party where they had the chance to see the rapper take the stage again.