By : Stephen Baksis
On a lively Wednesday summer night at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, T-Pain brought his infectious energy and a lineup of talented artist to the stage for the “Mansion in Wiscansin Party Tour”. Joined by Young Cash, Nandostl, and LaRussell, the concert drew in a sold out crowd at the outdoors stage of the venue. The stacked line up came prepared to give the fans a night they would not forget.
Unfortunately, traffic was slammed coming into the city due to a car accident on route 28 so my wife and I were at a standstill. We ended up missing the first opener, Young Cash which I was pretty upset about. For those who don’t know who Young Cash is, he originally came into the game as a rapper with another label but eventually T-Pain got him out his contract and signed him to NappyBoyEntertainment. This is T-Pains own label. Young Cash switched up his game a little bit and now sings along with rapping. The two artists recently just dropped a collaborative 8 track album together and I highly recommend giving it a listen. Once I arrived to the venue while waiting for Nandostl to come on stage I spoke with a couple fans in the pitt. They told me that Young Cash’s opening set was amazing and before he came on DJ Slick was getting the crowd amped up, while people got their drinks and got into place.
Nandostl followed up Young Cash and this was the first time I have really heard his music. I enjoyed it very much, not to mention his stage presence was incredible. His performance was met with enthusiasm and he even had his own personal hype man on stage with him who goes by the name of Retro Champ. Retro made sure to jump off stage and get the crown into it while his boy Nando was going crazy on the mic! Nando even had some one on stage providing back up vocals who sounded great as well. You could tell this wasn’t his time performing in-front of a huge crowd.
Next up was LaRussell, who I was very excited to see. LaRussell has a style of hip-hop that not many people have these days. Russell crushes freestyles and has an old school style to his lyricism and beats. Not to mention he’s a very positive individual who tries to make a difference in peoples lives through his music. LaRussell gained a lot of attention over the past 2 years through social media being famous for having concerts in his own back yard. After watching his shows, whether it be live or snippets of shows on social media I was super excited to get to see him grace the stage in person. His performance was everything I expected and more. Within the first three songs he jumped right off stage, hopped over the pitt barricade and jumped in the crowd to perform. The energy he brought was unreal. To cap it off he asked who in the crowd was here to see him, and could come on stage to rap a song with him. He ended up choosing a fan and the dude had the absolute time of his life. LaRussell let him pick the song and treated him as if he was his best friend. After the song, LaRussell asked him how the experience was. The fan said that this moment was life changing, and that he wrote his college final on LaRussell. LaRussell showed his grattitude by signing his Pittsburgh Penguins jersey that he had worn at the start of his set and gave it to the fan. It was a pretty awesome moment to see before LaRussell continued to put on a great show. His commanding presence and soulful vocals captivated the audience, and I think a lot people who didn’t know him definitely did now.
After LaRussell came the moment that everyone in the sold out crowd was waiting for. T-Pain took the stage standing in front of a huge mansion. Not just this part, but the whole performances visual effects were stunning. That paired with T-Pains famous top hat and crazy colored suit, from the moment he took the stage he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. T-Pain brought exactly what everyone wanted to hear, delivering hit after hit with his signature autotune style and undeniable charisma. What’s crazy is T-Pain actually sounds like that live. He is a phenomenal singer. The setlist was a journey through T-Pain’s illustrious career, featuring classics like “Buy U a Drank,” “Bartender,” and “Im Sprung,” as well as newer tracks. His performance was not just a concert but an experience. His ability to connect with the audience, combined with his infectious energy, created an atmosphere of pure celebration. Whether he was engaging in playful banter with the crowd or effortlessly hitting high notes, T-Pain proved why he remains a powerhouse in the music industry even while being independent and the CEO of his own label, Nappy Boy Entertainment. He even donned two huge chains that said “Nappy Boy” on them! As I mentioned before, the production quality was top-notch, with vibrant lighting and seamless sound engineering enhancing the overall experience. He even changed into his very own custom Pittsburgh Steeler jersey with his name on the back.
Overall, T-Pain’s “Mansion in Wiscansin Party Tour” at Stage Ae in Pittsburgh was a resounding success. With an impressive lineup of supporting acts and T-Pain’s unforgettable headlining performance, the concert delivered on its promise of entertainment. It was a night filled with great music and a sense of community among fans who share a passion for hip-hop.
There is ten more stops left on this tour, with the next one being on June 19th at Los Angeles, California. If the Wiscansin Party is coming to a city near you, I highly recommend attending. If you plan to do so you better get your ticket fast because 6 out of the 10 remaining shows are already sold out!
Live from the Pitt 