It might feel like rapper Doechii appeared out of nowhere when she won the 2024 Grammy for Best Rap Album, but her swag is a reminder that she’s more than ready for the moment.
Performing at a sold-out Bojangles Coliseum on Thursday as part of her Live From the Swamp Tour, Doechii commanded attention from the first bars she spit on stage from “Stanka Pooh.” The 27-year-old rolled out onto the stage sitting atop a classroom desk that eventually rolled back and forth, from side to side.
More than a concert, her show felt like an experience, like all those in attendance knew Doechii will never be in an event space this big that feels so small again.
Often compared to Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott, there’s a playfulness to her lyrics that comes through in her performance; you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she’s a theatre kid. Her music also makes space for plenty of emotions and a range of styles.
She may have started out by going viral on TikTok less than five years ago, but Doechii has all the attitude and confidence of a seasoned performer.
For example, despite viral videos showing her flop down a gigantic slide she’s been touring with, she has confidently stayed the course and stuck with the massive prop (which actually comprises two slides protruding from a towering boombox), as she utilized the exit ramps without a problem Thursday night.
Another more subtle example was in her setlist, as Doechii performed her pop-flavored hit “Anxiety” mid-way through her set rather than setting it up as the encore. That final spot of the night was left to a reprise of her Grammy-nominated but perhaps less familiar song, “Nissan Altima.” (Blame it on the NSFW language.)
Perhaps Doechii best sums it up in the lyrics from that closing track: “I’m the new hip-hop Madonna, I’m the trap Grace Jones…”
Doechii’s Live From the Swamp Tour has a few more weeks left before she wraps in Los Angeles on Nov. 16.
Setlist
Stanka Pooh
Bullfrog
Boiled Peanuts
Nissan Altima
America Has a Problem
ExtraL
Alter Ego
Persuasive
Slide
Spookie Coochie
Nosebleeds
Crazy
Anxiety
Stressed
Death Roll
Boom Bap
GTFO
Catfish
Swamp Bitches
Denial is a River
Balloon
Wait
Fireflies
Encore
Nissan Altima (Reprise)
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
