The Underachievers and Flatbush Zombies sparked frenzy throughout a full-capacity crowd at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Nov. 28. The Flatbush, New York-based stoner rap groups maintained strong stage presence while performing hit-filled hour-long sets.
Two opening DJ’s established a lively party atmosphere, playing a mix of trap bangers and original mixes. Popular songs by A$AP Ferg (“Work”) and Kendrick Lamar (“M.A.A.D. City”) set the crowd nearest the stage in a frenetic spirit. They rapped along with the ad-libs and infectious rhymes.
As soon as the Underacheivers took the stage, Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” began playing on a projector screen at the back of the stage. Although the film was a nod to the name of the groups’ combined project, “Clockwork Indigo,” this artistic touch was bizarre. Even more bizarre was the synchronization of many of the groups’ songs with the film’s scenes.
Issa Gold and AK, the Underachievers’ two members, rocked skinny jeans and bounced across the stage. “Beast, Coast” chants echoed through the crowd after Gold and AK performed “Sun Through the Rain” and “Land of Lords” from their debut mixtape, “Indigoism.” Their music encompasses trap anthems (“Flexin’” and “Cold Crush”) and a ‘90s inspired New York rap sound most notably found on set closer “The Mahdi,” which uses the sample on “‘93 ‘Til Infinity.”
Security guards at the front of the stage struggled to contain the crowd’s energy. The Underachievers asked the crowd to take five steps back to little effect. Near the end of their set, the crowd below of almost 500 collapsed a security barrier.
The Flatbush Zombies boasted outstanding stage charisma and a set list of energetic tracks filled with drug references, complex flows and some social commentary. Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and producer-rapper Eric “The Architect” Elliott had complete command of the crowd. The Zombies frequently used call-and-response on tracks like “Death” to build and maintain crowd interaction. Darko and Zombie Juice launched into the crowd multiple times and at one point joined in on the multiple mosh pits erupting to their music.
Near the end of the concert, each group performed two of their biggest hits, including “Gold Soul Theory” for The Underachievers and “Palm Trees” for the Zombies. The Underachievers and Zombies then performed “Benefit Concert” and “LUAM,” two tracks from their “Clockwork Indigo” EP which elicited the most hype.
As the concert concluded, Elliott left the crowd with a message: “Open your f***** mind.”
