One of music’s most anticipated annual festivals curated by Tyler, the Creator, located at Dodger’s Stadium, celebrated 10 years, Camp Flog Gnaw exceeded many attendees, such as myself, expectations of performers, rides, and games. Fans of Tyler are eager every year for him to reveal who will be in attendance, and it never disappoints; this year was no different.
However, this festival didn’t always have its iconic name and reputation. In 2012, it first made an appearance with the name OFWGKTA Carnival. It was held in a parking lot outside of Los Angeles’ The Novo, called Club Nokia at the time. It featured artists such as Lil Wayne, Trash Talk, Action Bronson, and Tyler’s old music group, Odd Future. The best thing about this festival is Tyler doesn’t only include big-name artists but also smaller ones and up-and-coming artists to give them a chance to be discovered. As previously mentioned, this is the festival’s 10th year putting on amazing shows; though it would have celebrated 12 years, it took a break in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and returned in 2023.
November 16th was day 1 of Camp Flog Gnaw. With these types of events, you need to strategically plan your day so you can see everyone you hope to. Every artist you wish to see is worth it, especially when they bring out special guests and play your favorite songs. For example, rapper Doechii brought energy to the stage and had fans match her energy. The crowd went wild when she brought out singer SZA, and they performed their song “Persussive” together. Also, record producer and DJ The Alchemist brought some people out, hence his set called Alchemist and Freinds. He brought out artists such as Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and Action Bronson. However, when night comes, the real magic happens.
Tyler, the Creator, is the last and biggest act of the night. The anticipation builds as thousands of people wait for his performance to start. Then the lights go down. He opens with the first song off his new album, “St. Chroma.” Then passionate fans sing word for word, and as he continues, he starts to play his old songs, which include “Yonkers” from Goblin, “See You Again” from Flower Boy, “New Magic Wand” from Igor, etc. It wouldn’t be an iconic performance if he didn’t bring out iconic people. He brought out Docheii to sing their song “Ballon,” Sexxy Red to perform “Sticky,” and ScHoolboy Q for “Thought I was Dead.” As the night progresses, moshpits take over the crowd, and everyone sings along. A song that stood out the most was “Like Him,” a new song from “Chromakopia.” As he is performing the song, it’s visible that the crowd feels the impact of this song’s process. Even Tyler was affected during his performance, appearing to be holding back tears and being overcome by his emotions. Finally, he ends his show with a heartfelt speech telling his fans to keep dreaming, and he walks off stage to “St. Chroma” playing in the background.
It’s finally day 2 and the unfortunate last day of Camp Flog Gnaw. This day was filled with much bigger named artists such as Faye Webster, The Marias, and a tribute to MF DOOM. However, until their time came, other notable artists took to the stage. Singer Raye performed on the big stage, mesmerizing the audience with her captivating vocals. A funny moment of the night was when Andre 3000 played his instrumental songs rather than his rap, which most people hoped for. However, the audience still made a mosh pit to his flute, and Andre even decided to trick the audience by saying gibberish. He revealed that he had just made up random words and said them for fun. Later into the night, Earl Sweatshirt finally performed, and he played some of his most famous songs, such as “Molasses” and “Words2LiveBy,” which he collaborated with El Cousteau and even brought him out to perform. Finally, at the end of his set, just as he was about to leave, he decided to surprise the audience and bring out Tyler, the Creator, to congratulate and praise him for making all of this happen. As the audience screamed, cheered, and chanted to play “Rusty,” an old song they collaborated on also featuring Domo Genesis, they finally left the stage, and people waited for the last performers of that stage to go on “Blood Orange.”
Finally, as night fell, the last performer closed the festival, and it was time for Playboi Carti. He is notorious for having crazy moshpits and performances. But the most memorable part of his performance was bringing out The Weekend to perform their song “Timeless.” With flashing lights and smoke everywhere, it felt unreal to be in the presence of all these amazing artists for only 2 days.
The combination of stellar performances, nostalgic moments, and a vibrant festive atmosphere made the 10th anniversary of Camp Flog Gnaw truly special as Tyler and his friends performed their best songs. As the festival ended, you could only look back at pictures and videos of the performers you saw and think about who you would see next year.
