While “working” late on an essay in the library on a rainy October night, me and my roommate Evan devised a flawless plan: seeing 2hollis in Chicago on January 31st, 2025. 2hollis is a rising star in the rap, edm, and dubstep world, whose music production replicates his roots as a young Skrillex fan. Despite having industry connections, such as his mother being a manager for Skrillex, 2hollis has managed to make a name for himself as an exciting performer and avant-garde producer.
I discovered 2hollis earlier last semester, when my friend Seamus told me and Evan to watch the ‘Forfeit’ music video. The music video is actually two videos of 2hollis running around a closed mall that alternates between videos every frame. The effect is a trippy, strobe-like one that matches the electronic music 2hollis produces. I was hooked on this kind of unique artistic profile, and I went on to watch other music videos and listen to 2hollis’ 2024 album ‘boy.’
Back to the library, and me and Evan perused tickets. We were lucky that day, since tickets had just recently dropped, although they obviously had already been all bought up and resold elsewhere. One of the things that drew me to the concert was the venue’s capacity: 1,000 people. To be in a tightly packed and small concert atmosphere was something I was unfamiliar with but was desperate to explore. We got our tickets that night and kept the concert in the back of our minds as the semester geared towards final exams.
When it came time to depart for Chicago, it was me, Evan, and Seamus who would make the journey to see 2hollis. We left on Thursday, January 30th, after class, and I drove through the thick fog that clouded northern Missouri and Illinois that night. On the way up, we listened to 2hollis’ new single ‘Afraid’ featuring Nate Sibb, who was opening for 2hollis the next day.
Arriving at the concert venue, there was a line out the door. As we waited, I saw people with eye black designs on their faces and kids running around with 2hollis white and red cross shirts. 2hollis was slated to begin at 7 p.m., which meant that there were people from all ages. Behind us, there was a kid with what looked to be his mom ready to see the show. We got through security and despite believing we had arrived early, the main audience space was already filled with people. We didn’t have to wait too long before the show started, as Nate Sibb began his opening set at around 6:30 p.m.
As soon as the music started, the audience condensed and turned into a tornado. Being pulled and pushed on all sides, I began to float from one corner of the venue to the other. I began the first song in the back left corner and ended up in the front right corner by the end. I didn’t mean to end up there, and I became separated from Evan and Seamus. Sweat flew into the air from the first minute and the venue got stinky real quick. Nate Sibb finished his set, and 2hollis came next.
Everyone near the front of the venue had their phones out, trying to record through the constant rushing and jumping of the crowd. Some people were on Facetime, others on Instagram Live. I just wanted to dance and see if it was possible to take good photos on my small digital camera. Despite all the pushing and pulling, I found most of the people I met in the crowd quite kind and considerate.
2hollis was a fantastic performer. His vocals were crisp, and he seemed touched by the crowd’s love for him. 2hollis’ long blonde hair and lanky frame makes him stand out as a performer, almost looking like a unicorn on stage. Between songs, he would disappear behind the thick fog on stage, while people screamed for their favorite song to be performed. Notable performances included “jeans,” “two bad,” and “crush.” For one of the last songs, 2hollis brought Nate Sibb back out to perform their new single ‘Afraid,’ together.
I left smelling like 1,000 teenagers packed into a dense room, and we made our way back to the apartment. The show ended at around 8:30 p.m., but we were too wiped out dancing to venture back out, instead opting to watch Spiderman (2002) back at our hotel after we all took merited showers.
We finished our weekend in Chicago by going to an art museum, a few bookstores, and lots of second hand stores. Our plan to see 2hollis worked out magnificently, and we were lucky to catch him on one of the last dates in his North American tour, as he is now performing down under in New Zealand and Australia.
Here are some photos I got:
