LustSickPuppy touched down at Velvet Underground in Toronto on May 17th with a brash explosion of rap, punk, and high-octane club beats, As the Brooklyn native also known as Tommy Hayes took the stage in support of their debut album Carousel From Hell, the crowd was immediately hyped beyond belief. There was a charged-up energy in the room as LustSickPuppy’s beats reverberated through the speakers, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
Setting the tone for the night were opening acts feralbats and Prolaps. Both acts unleashed a sonic assault on the eager crowd in their own unique way. Local act feralbats knocked it out of the park with the difficult task of getting the night kicked off. A standout moment of the night was when the New York-based mutant punk duo broke out into “Sewer Cock,” which was met by an ecstatic crowd reaction. They brought the sleaze factor and everyone was ready for it.
Then it was time for LustSickPuppy to hit the stage. The all-around creative force (designer, painter, model, in addition to being a producer, rapper, and vocalist) commanded the stage with nothing less than can be described as a superstar aura. From the inflatable killer clown on stage and LustSickPuppy’s garish stage garb, it’s clear that this was all coming from the singular vision of an imaginative individual who chose to live life out loud.
Despite it being a rainy night in Toronto, LustSickPuppy’s frenetic delivery and infectious energy invited the audience to let loose and lose themselves in the waves of noise. Sonically, LustSickPuppy’s sound is a bold hybrid of rap, nu-metal, club beats, and glitchy mutant punk. The crowd, a diverse tapestry of identities and misfits, responded to the music with endless enthusiasm, chanting along to every word, moshing, and feeding off the energy radiating from the stage.
It wasn’t just the music that left a lasting impression, it was the palpable sense of community and collective joy that permeated Velvet Underground. LustSickPuppy’s commitment to creating safe spaces for queer POC and weirdos permeates through their music and that message was received wholeheartedly by the crowd.
In the end, LustSickPuppy’s performance at Velvet Underground wasn’t just a fun time to rage hard. It was a celebration of identity and a testament to the power of embracing what makes you weird. As the crowd spilled out onto Queen West, their spirits lifted and their hearts ablaze, it was clear that the echoes of LustSickPuppy’s message would reverberate long after the music had faded into the night.
Listen to LustSickPuppy’s Carousel From Hell album below.
