99 Neighbors at the Middle East 11/26
By: Marisa McCarthy, Photos by Colin Keegan
99 Neighbors at the Middle East in Cambridge was the first concert I attended since the onset of the pandemic. After their tour was canceled last summer, this was a long-awaited show. As the small room of the upper Middle East began to fill up in the hour before the show, the sounds of the crowd rose from tentative murmurs to a steady hum of anticipation. This tour, which debuted the group’s new album, Wherever You’re Going I Hope It’s Great, was unlike any previous 99 Neighbors tour. Not only is the eclectic hip hop group from Burlington, Vermont steadily accumulating fans, but this tour exhibited several changes to the group. Most notably, one of the group’s most beloved rappers Connor “Swank” Stankevich bravely decided to sit the tour out in order to continue his recovery from addiction. Additionally, this album highlights the soothing and emotional vocals of member Aidan Ostby.
The crowd ignited as soon as the opening act, Seeyousoon, a small up-and-coming rap group from Orlando, Florida hit the stage. Seeyousoon captured the audience’s attention with booming bass, rapid lyrics, and the smoothly synchronized involvement of all of the group members. It wasn’t long before the crowd was jumping and calling back “Seeyousoon!” to the charismatic lead rapper, Drex Carter. The group also exhibited eye-catching style with custom merchandise. Seeyousoon brought with them the giddy energy of a young group on their first tour, creating an atmosphere of genuine fun, love for music, and appreciation for 99 Neighbors.
As soon as HANKNATIVE and Sam Paulino stepped on stage, the audience exploded with deafening cheers. Almost immediately, the crowd began chanting the lyrics ingrained in their minds after a year of waiting. The emotion that would best describe this concert is simply joy. The love and friendship between the group members and their appreciation of the crowd’s adoration and devotion was palpable. The Neighbors seamlessly rattled off “Live a Little,” “North Michigan Gospel,” “Eastside,” and other hits from their new album woven seamlessly with older songs like “Guts,” and “Ripstick.” Excitement mounted when the group pulled friend and musician Chase Murphy on stage for several songs. The chemistry between HANKNATIVE and Sam Paulino was electric as they riffed off of each other, never missing a word of their intricate lyrics and clearly loving every moment as they danced around the small stage. Sam Paulino raised the crowd’s pulse by jumping down from the stage and opening a mosh pit for “Ripstick” (while responsibly stressing the importance of crowd safety). The pace of the concert slowed down with “North Michigan Gospel,” a hauntingly nostalgic song about the group’s street in Chicago featuring Aidan Ostby’s mellow vocals. HANKNATIVE and Sam Paulino then graciously cleared the stage while Aidan sang “North Michigan Gospel Reprise (NMGR)” shrouded in soft pink and green lights from above. Needless to say, the crowd fell silent, leaving the frantic clicking of camera shutters as the only interruptions.
The audience swelled with Bostonian pride (and noise) when Sam Paulino declared this crowd the most energetic of the tour so far. The concert seemingly came to an end with a resounding chorus of “Fuck No” during which the crowd waved their middle fingers in the air like lighters while emphatically shouting along to the break-up anthem. However, reluctant to let the night end, the audience cheered for an encore which succeeded in encouraging 99 Neighbors to conclude with old favorites off of their 2019 album Television. The crowd knew every word and sang along without missing a breath, eliciting smiles from the group members, clearly appreciative of this long-time support.
Both 99 Neighbors and Seeyousoon stuck around after the show, exhibiting gratitude and dedication to their fans by talking and laughing with concert goers, signing merch, and taking countless photographs (all of which I made sure to participate in). Meeting the bands and getting the chance to have conversations with such kind and down-to-earth people was one of the best parts of the experience after the invigorating performances. I have no doubt that 99 Neighbors will only continue to grow in popularity not only due to their clever lyrics, hard-hitting beats, and genuine love for music, but also for their passion for showing appreciation and gratitude to their fans and creating a truly unforgettable and fun concert experience.
