It’s a cold stormy night in Santa Ana, California but the city’s beloved venue The Observatory is as full as ever with audiences waiting to see Odd Future’s former member Domo Genesis perform. The venue was packed with people of all ages and their overall excitement was contagious. Starting the night was Maxo, an LA based emcee who had some phenomenal flows on set. He came in with this calm energy and brought audiences following his lead and eventually burst into a rage of excitement. Maxo would explode on stage and would rap exuberantly across both corners as everyone was filled to the brim with joy. Throughout the show it became clear that he was not only a talented rapper but also a skilled performer as well as he didn’t show signs of wear and tear but rather a calm yet appealing charisma. While Maxo dominated the mic he didn’t have to run or act over the top to keep his audience entertained but stay calm, cool, and collected and let his voice take over. Fans of the west coast rapper are hoping these latest live performances might indicate a new project is on the horizon.
Once Maxo’s set was wrapped up, Fly Anakin would also dominate the stage in a very eloquent manner. The Richmond, Virginia based rapper was on a mission to give the set of a lifetime to an audience that was already excited to be there despite how awful the weather was outside. Just as anticipated, Fly Anakin brought in an exciting show and the audience were following along to his flows and almost even hyping him up as his show progressed. Fly Anakin had a very strong charisma on stage as he consistently checked up with his audience and asked them to follow him and repeat after him through his set. Ultimately, Fly Anakin left the venue with great enthusiasm and overall excitement for Domo Genesis right before he started. Unfortunately, I could not stay for Domo’s set due to technical issues with my camera gear that resulted in myself getting it replaced (thankfully through my insurance). Nonetheless, after being able to catch his set at Camp Flog Gnaw this past November, I know that he gave an unforgettable set at The Observatory and gave a great start to his US tour.
For the fans that couldn’t make it to the show you can still check out the photo gallery of Maxo and Fly Anakin just below from February 19th, 2024 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA. Also, be sure to follow both rappers Maxo and Fly Anakin on Instagram for future updates @rundatback and @flyanakin.
Article & Photos By Hector Mendoza
