Playboi Carti Concert Review: Choreographed Chaos at the ‘Antagonist 2.0 Tour’

At TD Garden on Nov. 4, Playboi Carti finally arrived at the arena in full force — alongside ApolloRed1, Homixide Gang, Destroy Lonely, and Ken Carson — for the “Antagonist 2.0 Tour.” The “Antagonist Tour” first began in 2023, as originally scheduled. Now, the postponed and ongoing “Antagonist 2.0 Tour” spans 28 dates, with Boston being its 17th location. The tour announced in advance that Carti’s record imprint Opium would be performing, making the tour a showcase of the label’s aesthetic as much as of Carti himself. The label’s artists — Carti, Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, A$AP Nast, and Homixide Gang — all occupy a dark rap niche, a style persistent throughout the concert.

During the show, the lights mainly flashed red and black, with thick smoke lingering all across the venue. Throughout each song, it was often easier to see the complete and utter blur of Carti’s silhouette in the distance than the rapper himself. During his set, he was joined on stage by his Opium crew, guitarists, and dancers, while flashlights pointed towards both the audience and the stage floor in an inconsistent pattern. With the rapid-fire activation and intense strobe lights slicing through the arena, the concert was raucous and atmospheric. Fans — particularly those with floor tickets — seemed to really enjoy the chaos, creating mosh pits for every beat drop and taking off their clothes. Fans also consistently held up the “Young Vamp Life” — or “YVL” — symbol, consisting of three fingers, which represent Carti’s label and brand.

The concert kicked off with ApolloRed1, followed by Homixide Gang, Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and lastly Carti, with breaks inbetween each artist’s performance. Carti’s set consisted of 28 songs, with the majority of the first half featuring songs from his latest album, “MUSIC.” He started off by performing “POP OUT” — the first track of “MUSIC” — twice in a row. This repetition and opening positioned the tone for his set, introducing Carti’s loud and clear centrality with the song’s provocative and brash nature. In his performance of the 11th track, “HBA,” he notably shouted out Boston, hyping fans up with “I jump out my red-eye, push out, then I go to Boston.”

The second half of Carti’s set covered his more popular songs, including hits like “Sky” and “ILoveUIHateU” from his “Whole Lotta Red” album. In addition, after 15 rage-filled and experimental hip-hop tracks, “Timeless” — an R&B and trap single by the Weeknd, featuring Carti — transitioned the arena’s energy to a slower-paced vibe, while also serving as a hinge between newer-era material and older catalogs. Carti also performed his most streamed song, “FE!N” — a track by Travis Scott featuring Carti — as one of his last before ending the show. The tonal shift of the second half of the concert felt like an intentional structure, anchoring fans in what they were familiar with and already loved.

In the end, the announcement of the “Antagonist 2.0 Tour” and “MUSIC” album were not just career benchmarks for Carti, but reassertions of a newer, upgraded phase in his artistic evolution. He ended the show off with a touching unreleased track, “Made It This Far” — commonly referred to as “24 Songs” by fans — with lyrics that reflected the success of his career and how far he has come. With the crowd calmed yet emotional, this final song allowed fans to take a glimpse into Carti’s world. Contemplating his growth and presence, fans collectively held up the “YVL” sign between the song’s reflective melodies. Just as Carti said in the track, he “can’t believe that we made it this far.”