Live Review: Breakout Festival 2019 @ PNE Amphitheatre – June 15th-16th 2019

This past weekend saw the return of the summer edition of Breakout Festival in Vancouver. The semi-annual event has carved out a niche for itself with both its Summer and Winter editions landing huge hip-hop names.

Mid-day Saturday the festivitied off under the sweltering sun. An excited crowd roared to life as the stage served up a steady barage of local and international music talent.

Heavy hitters American rappers A$AP Rocky and Lil Skies delivered hard hitting sets that left patrons sweaty and satiated.

Pennsylvania -bred Lil Skies showcased his unhinged performance style as he feverishly danced about the platform and stirred the excited audience into a frenzy. At one point he climbed the stage scaffolding and delivered bars from some twenty feet in the air. It was exhilarating.

Pretty Flacko, aka A$AP Rocky, wrapped day one with a serious exclamation point. His set was more planned out, starting off slowly and building. He kicked things off spending the first two songs behind a white sheet, his silhouette the only thing we could see. Then the sheet dropped and streams of stage fog and fire blasted into the air and the night turned into a raucous dance party.

Sunday saw big names in Saweetie, Rich The Kid, Gunna, Young Thug, and Rae Sremmurd.

Saweetie brought a four-person dance crew with her, and her set brought a much needed female touch to the weekend. She was sexy and vicious all at the same time.

Young Thug was a last minute add after Lil Baby was forced to cancel a week out from the fest.. The big question all day was around whether or not Thug would even make it across the border. About thirty minutes before his set, we received word that he was in Vancouver.

He stepped out on stage and was met with an excited round of cheers.

His set was more laidback than most but was by no means lacklustre. Nearly every song he performed was a Billboard hit and the audience sang along with him to every word.

The night closed out with American hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd delivering a solid hour of danceable beats and contagious lyrics.

Much lock Rocky on night one, their set was accompanied by billows of high pressure stage fog shooting skyward from the stage.

In just its second year, this little festival that could is seemingly doing just fine. Night one was sold out and night two looked just as packed. They are working through their growing pains with experience and ease, as the main promoters behind the scenes, Timbre Concerts, have decades of know-how.

Thank you to the festival for having us out.

We look forward to the Winter edition rolling out its lineup in the coming months.