The sounds of sirens and excited chatter guided fans of Nigerian artist Asake to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for their taste of his Lungu Boy World Tour. It was not hard to tell who had gathered to spend the night dancing away to Afrobeats, as glossy legs and large bronze arm cuffs dotted the organized chaos that is 34th Street.
Fans lingered outside of the venue as they understood the 8 p.m. starting time to be more of a suggestion, for both the Africans in the crowd and on the stage. For those who had arrived promptly, though, hugely talented Nigerian producer Sarz and a host of other DJs spun well-crafted medleys that sprung from feuding duo P-Square, to late South African talent Costa Titch. An Asake-less 9 p.m. passed by, but the crowd was too occupied with nailing the latest amapiano dance trend to be bothered – a reminder that Africans are good as long as there’s a good beat and good company.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
The crowd’s reaction to the first few opening seconds of ”Sunmomi” made it known that Lagos-born star Asake's sound has found a home amongst New Yorkers, at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30, 2024.
Our Lungu Boy entered armed with a banger and a red chrome baseball bat that he hung on to for much of the night. The crowd’s reaction to the first few opening seconds of ”Sunmomi” made it known that the Lagos-born star’s sound has found a home amongst New Yorkers. For our evening with the “Lonely At The Top” singer, the iconic American venue stacked rows of chairs in the center of the room, limiting the usually sprightly singer and restricting him to running back and forth across the stage – which he did with great vigor and enthusiasm throughout the night.
The stage setup made him feel distant, but in a club VIP section kind of way. Though Asake being physically limited made him return to the right corner of the stage – where his hype man and DJ were stationed – it made it seem like he was having a great time with his people, too.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
Asake kept the energy high and vibes good throughout the night, with a cheeky demand that all attendees turn on their flashlights because he was “hungry for light” during his performance of “MMS,” at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30, 2024.
The singer kept the energy high and vibes good throughout the night, with a cheeky demand that all attendees turn on their flashlights because he was “hungry for light” during his performance of “MMS,” taking the magnitude of the moment. The fun continued as a group of skateboarders and BMX bike riders paraded across the stage during “Skating,” a new release on the singer’s latest project. Popular collaborative hit “Bandana” hit the room with a vengeance, but, there truly wasn’t a song that wasn’t well received by the crowd committed to having a great time.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
Asake flexes for the crowd at the Madison Square Garden stop of his 'Lungu Boy World Tour' on Aug. 30, 2024.
Sarz returned to the stage to relish in the beauty he created for the pair’s song “Happiness,” and four-time Grammy-nominated Haitian American rapper Fridayymade it out to perform the duo’s track “Blessings” as well as his hit “When It Comes To You.” The crowd did not miss a lyric between the two artists, highlighting how much of a connector music can be for people from all walks of life.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
Haitian American rapper Fridayy performed his and Asake’s track “Blessings” at the latter’s Madison Square Garden show on Aug. 30, 2024.
Asake made himself a man of his word as his single “Active” featuring American rapper Travis Scott had the singer running laps around the center of the room, and he kept the energy going with hits, “Organise,” and “Amapiano.” Much of the first two-third of the night was made up of Lungu Boy tracks, with the artist seemingly still reeling from the excitement of his latest drop.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
Much of the first two-thirds of the night was made up of Lungu Boy tracks, with Asake seemingly still reeling from the excitement of his latest drop at his Madison Square Garden performance on Aug. 30, 2024.
The night ended with as big of a bang as it started, as the still energized crowd flowed out into the city and kept the dance party going outside of The Garden. At the end of the night, Asake had performed roughly 30 tracks. To keep your audience feeling good before, during, and after spending time experiencing your art is no easy feat, but the Nigerian singer is Mr. Money With The Vibe, after all.
Photo by Kaushik Kalindindi.
To keep your audience feeling good before, during, and after spending time experiencing your art at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30, 2024 is no easy feat, but the Nigerian singer Asake is Mr. Money With The Vibe, after all.