Listen Live!
By Kaylee Landrigan
There’s nothing more quintessentially Queens than a free Action Bronson concert in the iconic Flushing Meadows Corona Park featuring some of Bronson’s favorite collaborators.
Fresh out of his intense outdoor workout, Bronson was ready to bring that same determined energy to the sea of anticipating fans. In a bright neon green muscle tee, and with his sweat bands still on his arms, Action Bronson graced SummerStage with a roaring confidence. Bronson—completely wordless—waited as fans cheered and hollered, yelling out “Mr. Baklava!”
The crowd’s excitement only intensified as the Parisian-and-Italian-1970s-style classical music blasts through the speakers and Bronson begins to rap “Knock, knock, knock it out the box, Bronson” off his hit track “DMTri” with The Alchemist. For much of the concert, this is how it goes down: one of the most beautiful beats you’ve ever heard plays; followed by a series of unforgettable, classic Bronsonliño lines with nonstop audience participation; and perhaps, an extra instrumental solo by Yung Mehico.
Recently releasing another unskippable LP, Cocodrillo Turbo, this spring, Bronson made sure to play all the fan favorites off the record. Songs like “Subzero,” “Jaguar,” and “Tongpo” had quite a crowd reception, but it wasn’t until “Estaciones” started playing, when things got really fun. One of my personal favorites off the album, because of the song’s dramatic and intense piano chords accompanied by some of the most outlandish lyrical shit-talking, “Estaciones” gets the rapper riled up. Dumbfounded, he raps, “Bitch, get the fuck up off me, don’t try to kiss me with your lips all chalky,” and fan laughter quickly followed. He brings the song’s collaborator, Hologram, on stage to go bar for bar with Bronson and deliver the most iconic verse off the album.
But what’s better than one special guest? Two. The legendary producer, The Alchemist, pulled up to pump up the crowd with the classics, “Terry” and a very sentimental tribute to Mac Miller with “Red Dot Music.”
To end the show, Action brought out his son to say a last few words (which included a very long “goodbyeeeeeee”) and in true Bronson fashion, he told us to meet him at the Colombian Festival inside the park.
