Festival Recap: Made in America Day 1
Words and Photos by Lantz Martin
Curated by the legendary Jay Z, Made In America returns for its tenth year where it takes over Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Headlined by Tyler, The Creator and Bad Bunny, Made In America is a star-studded event that features some of the most prominent names in music. On top of great music, it also features amazing food, drinks, and activities (the Ferris wheel is a must) that every person attending can enjoy. If you were not in Philadelphia during Labor Day weekend don’t worry, we got you covered.
My day started with Larry June on the main stage aka the Rocky Stage. He came out performing “Private Valet” with oranges in the background on the LED screens behind him which is a constant in his aesthetic and a great way to get the weekend started. Then came Toro y Moi with his live band on the second stage aka the Liberty Stage. He had the calmest entrance of the day by just walking out on stage, making sure his guitar was ready to go and once he started jamming with “Déjà Vu” everyone started grooving. Following Toro was JID who definitely had one of the best performances of the weekend. He ended up ending his set by performing “Stick” on a light pole in the middle of the crowd while everyone was jumping up and down around him.
Back at the Rocky Stage it was time for Pusha T. If you’re familiar with Pusha T’s music then you know that he loves his bricks, so much so that he had brought what was basically a mountain of them on stage with him where his DJ was set up. Cocaine's Dr. Seuss came out performing “Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes” and didn’t miss a single word to any of his verses at all. Afterwards it was time for Jazmine Sullivan, who vocally was just incredible. She had such a great warm energy to her which was kind of ironic considering how she started her set with “Bust Your Windows” but she made sure that everyone in the crowd knew that the night was about love and positivity.
Day 1 ended with Lil Uzi Vert on the Liberty Stage and Tyler, The Creator on the Rocky Stage. Uzi probably made the best entrance of the day by getting shot up from below the stage with two of his Lamborghinis behind him (probably the craziest flex that I've ever seen) while performing “Glock In My Purse”. Besides Uzi bringing his infectious energy per usual you could tell he was going extra hard for his hometown crowd. After Uzi it was finally time for the headliner, Tyler, The Creator. Tyler came out carrying a large backpack with a walking stick to “CORSO” in what he said would probably be his last show of his Call Me If You Get Lost era so the Philly fans got a very special treat that night. Also, special shout out to Tyler for the Pat’s recommendation (if you know you know).