Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Presents: City Morgue, the Most Violent Concert Experience of 2021

Perhaps the most violent and turbulent concert I experienced this year, the City Morgue concert at the Varsity Theatre in Dinkytown was absolutely insane. On Tuesday October 5th, 2021, the dynamic duo ZillaKami and SosMula, graced the stage of the Varsity, kicking off the evening early with doors opening at 6pm. If you have not attended a show at the Varsity yet I highly recommend it. A smaller venue with a unique internal aesthetic and a storied history, the Varsity is a must see for any university student. The theatre also sports the most bizarre bathroom that I have ever experienced at a music venue. Comprised of mostly brick, the bathroom is contrasted sharply with the black metallic interior of the venue and is decorated to look like a fantasy castle from another mystical realm.

ZillaKami and SosMula took to the stage around 7:30, after a short slate of openers whom I had never heard of before. Opening the show on the 5th were N8NOFACE, who I would categorize as a more traditional punk-rocker, and Kuttem Reese. The later of the two hails from Orlando Florida and performs with the expected Florida rapper cadence. With a style heavily reminiscent of the likes of Kodak Black and 9lokkNine, Kuttem Reese is an up-and-coming talent in the hip hop world receiving cosigns from the likes of Lil Durk and Chief Keef.

After the openers departed the duo kicked off the show with their hit single “THE ELECTRIC EXPERIENCE” off of their 2020 album, TOXIC BOOGALOO. “I’m tryna line a headshot, catch a few collaterals like Deadshot,” screamed ZillaKami. Hailing from New York, both ZillaKami and SosMula utilize a hardcore punk aesthetic as well as loud and brash lyrics. For those familiar with the style and flow of 6ix9ine, ZillaKami was one of his earliest ghost writers and collaborators, largely responsible for pioneering the popular style.

The City Morgue concert on October 5th was the first show I have ever been to that was branded with a corporate sponsor. With Monster logos spinning hypnotically on the large screen behind SosMula as he screamed “cooler than the new freezer, got my new heater, lil b*tch im the school shooter you the school teacher,” on the track “Sk8 Head,” I could not help but ask myself what corporate executive at Monster had signed off on this? Regardless of the branding, SosMula and ZillaKami delivered an electric performance, energizing the crowd every step of the way and encouraging mosh pits constantly. “Hey open that sh*t up right now!” Screamed ZillaKami prior to the duo performing “SHINNERS13,” from their debut album City Morgue Vol 1: Hell or High Water. “One for the gang, two for the fame, three for the name, four to the grave,” screamed the crowd in unison with the two MC’s. “Put the nail in the coffin, lay him down for a minute, put the nail in the coffin lay him down for a minute.”

Although most general admission hip hop concerts are typically energetic, with performers actively encouraging the audience to mosh, City Morgue was a cut above the rest. I do not believe that there was a single song played by the duo that did not spawn a massive pit of swirling bodies chaotically crashing together. Despite this chaos, the Varsity is not a very large venue allowing for me to get incredibly close to the artists over the course of the evening. If you have an opportunity to see City Morgue on tour and you are even the least bit interested in the more hardcore Punk-Rap wave, I highly recommend it. With a price point of $20 for a general admission ticket before fees are applied, City Morgue is an unbelievable deal for anyone looking to have a wild night full of mosh pit action.