XXMas With Machine Gun Kelly

Concert Review

by Olivia Cappolella

On December 21, I was lucky enough to go to Machine Gun Kelly’s third annual XXMas show at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.  As a hardcore Machine Gun Kelly fan, I was happy to experience my first concert of his at one of his dearest hometown shows. How much better could it get than experiencing your first MGK concert at his very own favorite show of the year?

There were tons of artists involved in the XXMas show that I was excited to hear from. Opening act, DJ E-V built the energy early in the night. He boosted my excitement with his awesome set. Along with E-V, I was introduced to new artists like Siena Bella and Freshie, which I really enjoyed. It is always interesting to hear new music. The DJ also brought out a well-known EST member, DubXX, who I was overjoyed to see live. The whole opening act was great and a perfect fit for a MGK show. 

Right from the start, the intensity that was brought to the stage was extreme and had everyone off of their feet. Besides the first openers, DJ Ace and E-V, there were many special guests included that built the energy. From local Cleveland legends to close friends of the EST crew, it was a lot of different names and new faces. Before Machine Gun Kelly, the mic was passed to Lil Skies, who took Cleveland by storm. My brother, a Skies fan, was ecstatic to see him perform and there is no doubt that the rapper lived up to the expectations. As for me, a first time listener to Lil Skies, I now am a new fan. That music really got the vibe right for the main act. 

Once Machine Gun Kelly and his band took the stage, the whole arena went ablaze. There was not a single person in the audience who wasn’t dancing and singing along with every song. Some of my favorites were “Till I Die,” “Why Are You Here,” “Hollywood Whore,” “Bad Motherf*cker” and “I Think I’m OKAY.” I clearly am eager for the upcoming pop-punk album, if you consider some of my favorite songs. I was also lucky enough to see the very last live performance of the Eminem diss, “Rap Devil,” which I was hoping to see. The entire live performance was better than I could have ever expected. 

The whole entire show was exciting. Kells brought out some guests throughout his set to jam with him on stage, which I loved having the chance to see. The special guests he invited included Phem, YFL Kelvin, YFL Pooh, Doeboy, Goody Grace and again, Lil Skies. As someone who is very particular about my music taste, hearing new artists live for the first time always  It was enjoyable to see Kells and the band with other musicians on stage. 

MGK’s band, too, is on a whole different level. Slim, Baze, Rook and AJ are a talented set of musicians and elevate the show to a whole new level. It was impossible to ignore the passion that the band expressed. Without them, the environment would have never been the same. The band made it much more than a rap concert. It was just awesome to see them all in action. 

I am very thankful that my first Machine Gun Kelly concert was the XXMas show. It was an awesome night and I cannot wait until the next time I see him and his band live.