Justin Nuoffer
Yelawolf
1/11/25 – Eagle’s Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
Hazy cloud cover filled the skies above the Eagle’s Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI. Bitter winds ripped through the streets surrounding the venue. Not even the crisp, soul-crushingly cold air of a Midwest winter could keep fans away from tonight’s Yelawolf performance. The proof was that a small line of people started to form hours before the doors were scheduled to open. The line was long and extended down the block as doors opened.
Heading down the ramp into The Rave 2 room for the security check was quick and easy. The next step was to head up to the main foyer and box office area. Once the ticket checking was done everyone headed up the stairs into the Eagle’s Ballroom. The room was split in half with the stage standing in the middle of the floor facing the stairway. The bars were packed with fans slugging beers and shots. The VIP level with opera boxes and standing space filled up quickly. Even the rooftop bar was busier than busy. The PA pumped out killer jams and the vibes throughout felt good.
The hardwood floors of the historic building were packed in tightly and the stage lights illuminated the performance area in purple. A massive backdrop of phrase words associated with Yelawolf’s entire history was displayed and that slow digital intro to “Outer Space” started pumping. The lights dimmed and cellphone lights illuminated the venue. Mid-stage, a trailer stood. C02 cannons fired off over and over. The anxiety and anxiousness rose to epic levels. On top of the trailer, DJ Klever, Yelawolf’s long-time tour companion and collaborator spins and scratches his way through the low-volume humming intro and in a split second Yelawolf himself jumps up on top and launches into his verses. Pure intensity oozed over the crowd. This was a common theme. With a bottle of Cold Creek Whiskey in his hand, he rattled through “Catfish Billy” with relative ease.
Yelawolf paced the stage and often engaged with the fans up front. At one point a young fan up front had a sign that he grabbed and held up for the crowd to see. It read “American You”. He pounded his chest and the fans upfront melted.
This performance was a collection of his entire career. One of the most impressive parts was the age range of the attendees. There were some people there who have been with him from the long beginning to those who are newer and found him through collaborations and new releases. For almost two decades Yelawolf has been a storyteller unlike most in rap. His history of melding rap, country, and rock has created a unique avenue unlike anyone else out there. With Catfish Billy and New Me leading the way on the early highlights he knew that the stuff that blew up was his bread and butter on the night.
“Let’s Roll,” the gold single with Kid Rock, is heard in every bar, tavern, and pub across the great state of Wisconsin to this day. His arms flow like they were hanging out the window on a long summer’s drive and smoothly harmonize with the crowd serenading the words back to him. The moment was intensely beautiful and quickly became one of the most memorable moments of the evening. The voices echoed and rolled through the upper levels of the Eagle’s Ballroom. Looking around, the hands in the air flowed like ocean waves. The lights gleaned off the decorative golden arches of the balcony’s pillars.
One had to stop and breathe it all in but with a small bass rumble and a boom the introduction to “Daddy’s Lambo” rolled in and kept the good times at a fevered pitch. The long-time fans lost their minds and Yelawolf ate it up. He moved from edge to edge and across the stage spitting out the timeless favorite. The smile he displayed was infectious.
Throwing a montage of genres out there – from country to metal to rap – he routinely asked the crowd to react to their favorites. The diversity of the audience’s tastes was not a surprise. Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People” instrumental started to leak over the sound system with DJ Klever spinning and scratching his way to a louder volume. Yelawolf screams, “Rock n Roll” and holds the microphone out and the fans shout it back at him. The call and response filled the ears and left them ringing. Impressively, the first verse to “Til It’s Gone” flowed easily from the Slumerican founder’s mouth to the beat. With a smooth transition, a notable acoustic guitar riff that progresses the entire song filtered its way over the top of all the ambient noise and sound. With the song’s popularity, it was no surprise that the chorus became a singalong. As the song ended, Yelawolf moved from his center stage position with his mic stand and moved to the top of the trailer to sing the outro kneeling over the DJ mixer. “Til It’s Gone” obviously had him within his emotions. Breathing slowly and simply rocking back and forth, it resonated.
All of the pain, joy, love, and everything in between poured out onto the stage. This was all heart. The home stretch was perhaps the best display of these things. “Pop The Trunk” takes it back to the roots and origins of the man known as Yelawolf. A sound that was completely different than anything else performed this evening, it touched those OG fans and the engagement of the crowd was at an all-time high. The floor in front of the stage looked like something out of a metal show with bodies moving around and flowing then bouncing up and down with every “Pop. The. Trunk” that was unleashed.
The final two tracks were two very different experiences. Screaming out “It’s okay to love somebody. It’s okay to love somebody. Look, say I love…somebody”. The crowd reciprocated and repeated this one more time and he held his microphone over the front row. From there the mood changed to somber as he effortlessly started to rap and serenade every person and corner of the famed venue. The sightlines filled up with cell phones and illuminated the dimmed floor. We know Yelawolf has a countless number of hits and singles that have charted over the years and on this night “You and Me” was just that track. The same heart and reaction cemented itself over the Cream City crowd. With a vintage country melody, the lyrics cascaded themselves from the top of the trailer once again. A flawless delivery and crisp enunciation opened up the hearts and emotions of those around.
You would have to have a heart of ice to not get the warmth and appreciation being shown. Which is why the very end was such a pivotal moment in the evening. No one wanted to leave. Fans waited, hoping they would get one more song. The disappointment didn’t last considering how amazing the show was. The new stage backdrop and setup were vibrant, fun, and fitting.
We know Yelawolf is an incredibly talented musician who probably doesn’t get enough props from the outside world and his peers. With an unrelenting work ethic, he has managed to build himself and his brand to huge levels. It is no surprise he connects with the blue-collared people of the Upper Midwest. Overall, his dedication to his craft has never wavered. Every performance is a new setlist and you never know what you are going to get. Yelawolfs kinship with his fans remains second to none. The stories he spins are of the classic rap and country variety. They are real and deep. It is truly a lost art within modern music as a whole. The connection between The Rave and Eagles Ballroom’s haunted pool and Mac Miller and one of Yela’s first appearances in Milwaukee is something of little-known lore and he wasn’t afraid to share it on stage loud and proud for the faithful. It will always be those associations that will keep Wisconsin fans coming back to enjoy his show. He feels like one of us in every sense. It is real, human, gritty, and passionate.
The comfort and delight on the fans’ faces while exiting through the massive wooden doors into the cold Milwaukee night prove this. Yelawolf kicked off 2025 in the best way possible and to be there was a thing of beauty.
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