Review: Jack Harlow at The Anthem on Aug. 25
- Grace Guernsey & Minhal Nazeer
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Last week, Kentucky-born rapper Jack Harlow travelled to D.C. on tour for his newly-released album Monica and performed at The Anthem, his first concert in the city in six years. This years-long hiatus gave ample time for his D.C. fans’ excitement to build. On Tuesday night, Jack was met with a captivated, and, at times, overzealous, crowd. Matching their energy, he likewise delivered a captivating and, occasionally, overzealous, performance. During one set, for example, a fan tossed her bra at Harlow; he happily picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, displaying it like a proud Eagle Scout with his sash. You can hardly blame Jack, though. Who wouldn't be ecstatic to have bras, rather than tomatoes, thrown at them while on stage?
Bras, however, were not the only source of pride for Harlow on Tuesday night. His show was a three-hour ode to his (and our) hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Opener James Savage, like Harlow, is a Louisville native. Harlow platformed Savage, giving him the chance to display his talent and rising potential, something Jack spent years battling for in Louisville. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Savage delivered and established his sound alongside the likes of Daniel Caesar and Frank Ocean. Despite our unfamiliarity with his work, James Savage’s authenticity and melodic nature left a lasting impression.
As for the other Kentucky native, Harlow was characteristically suave and charismatic—aligning his stage presence with the seductive brand he has built for himself over the last few years. He charmed the audience with his easy smiles and outpourings of gratitude. And while Jack didn’t charm anyone’s pants off—not that we know of, at least—he did charm plenty of bras off. Harlow, though, was not only sultry but sentimental, paying homage to his roots at every turn. He, for example, shouted out the farm he was raised on in Shelby County, KY, while performing “Denver” and reminded the audience, “Bitch, I’m from Kentucky,” while rapping his 2020 hit “Route 66.”
As the show progressed, Harlow gradually loosened up. He danced effortlessly to his band while offering shit-eating grins to the crowd, taking in the night with an “I can’t believe this is my life” attitude. And he has every right to do so. Nobody took Jack seriously when he was a kid in Kentucky selling burnt CDs, performing in high school parking lots, and posting tracks on Soundcloud; he was the laughing stock of the town. Thank God Jack never let mockery dampen his dreams. Instead, with his grit, he transformed himself from a ridiculed white boy in Louisville to a beloved, and thirsted-after, global phenomenon. Refusing to accept anything short of success, Jack now has a Grammy nomination and collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Drake, and Jung Kook under his belt.
Jack hasn’t reached the acme of his career alone. On Tuesday night, he was accompanied by a complete band: two keys players, one bassist, one guitarist, one drummer, and two female singers. Interestingly, among these eight musicians and the opener, Harlow was the only non-Black musician on stage. Recently, Jack has been the subject of scrutiny with Monica, facing accusations that he has transgressed the line between appreciating and appropriating Black culture. Despite these controversies, Harlow’s fans, or at least those packing the pit of The Anthem, remain fervent. And while Jack lacks diversity, his crowd did not. Tuesday night’s concertgoers varied both in race and age and were divided near-evenly along gendered lines. Harlow even took a moment to acknowledge a section of mothers accompanying their teenage sons to the concert. These recognitions and his down-to-earth (though not to be confused with humble) demeanor highlighted that, despite his success, Jack, at heart, is just a kid who gets to do what he loves most because he followed his greatest, and most improbable, dream. Shouting out his day ones, drawing a tattoo for a passionate concertgoer, and wearing another’s bra like a prom sash, it’s clear that Harlow hasn’t forgotten that his fame and career would be nothing without his fans.
Though we’re far from diehard Harlow fans, and we don’t know (even close to) every lyric to his songs, there remains a special fondness in our hearts for the Louisvillian who made it out and made it big. We, without a doubt, see ourselves in the Bluegrass boy with big dreams, since we’re here in D.C. as Bluegrass girls with big dreams (“Tyler Herro”). Inshallah, may we find the same success as Jack, our “Hometown Hero.”
Grace Guernsey is a Senior in the SFS studying Culture & Politics and minoring in Spanish. She cried tears of laughter after the Monica concert when Minhal showed her the viral “Goat Vaccination Spot” clip for the first time. If you aren’t up to speed on this Jack Harlow lore, Grace implores you to catch up immediately. In fact, that’s an order.
Minhal Nazeer is a junior in the SFS studying Culture & Politics and minoring in Statistics and Journalism. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Minhal’s claim to fame remains that her older sister is Facebook friends with Jack Harlow, from when they did Model UN together.
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