Joey Valence & Brae in Melkweg

The opening act for this show, WHATMORE, was super fun! They matched Joey Valence & Brae's style and energy very well, and it was an energizing opener for an even more energetic main act that shortly followed.

Joey Valence and Brae have a bunch of stuff to say on stage, and despite Joey twisting his ankle earlier this month in Antwerp, he still danced like there's no tomorrow. The hard-hitting beats and surprisingly introspective lyrics echoed through the whole venue (and my ears, a day later).

The moshpits in the crowd were some of the wildest I've seen, but respectful enough to the point that Joey and Brae stopped the show for a little while when they noticed someone was looking for something. After a couple of seconds, a hand emerged from the sea of sweaty people holding a watch "FOUND IT!". The crowd erupted into loud cheers and the show resumed.

Unfortunately my mood was dampened a bit because the vinyl record I bought at the merch booth before the show got stolen. I'd put it to the side, thinking the crowd would be nice enough not to mess with it. But about halfway through the show I looked aside to check it was still there, and it just wasn't. Everybody in the vicinity said they didn't see who took it, and I had to leave empty-handed. Lesson learned, I suppose.

I didn't let it affect my mood too much; I still had a great time during the rest of the show! I especially loved that they did IS THIS LOVE, THE PARTY SONG, and OK.