Lonely? Not When He Pulls Up to San Marcos

Ethan McConnell 

Local Music Director 

So, picture this, you’re chilling at work Friday and then boom, you get a message from your buddy asking if you’re wanting to see Destroy Lonely at the Marc on Sunday. Your mind races with numerous things. “Destroy Lonely is coming to San Marcos?” “Why the Marc?” “How?” “On a Sunday?” There’s no time to really think so you just respond that you’re all for it. That’s exactly how my weekend went with our great photographer Dorian Powell and let me tell you all about it. From the energy of diehard fans to Destroy Lonely aura farming, this was definitely an experience. 

The Marc Listening Party 

Leading up to the event I went ahead and did research for the whole thing. With the magic of a new promoter, Lone would be making his way to the small college town for a listening party of his recent album drop. Now I won’t lie to you, I am a fan of Playboi Carti and Ken Carson and all artists within that subgenre of rap but Destroy Lonely hasn’t really been on my radar in recent months.  The only notable track on my rotation was “NO STYLIST”  

The Energy  

If I could color this, I would give like a black and red. From first walking in, I’m met with a bunch of mutuals who had popped out for the show all while I’m surrounded by a wall of sound from DJ Curfew. While we waited for the man to take the stage you had a few small rappers help pass the time. One person that stood out to me was an artist named YSG Migo. His pacing when rapping wasn’t too fast or too simple and it reminded me a lot of Young Dolph and Key Glock. To build on that, his tone matched so well with the trap style of the instrumentals.  

Destroy Lonely </3

After the openers finished, the DJ took over and started playing classics to match the atmosphere. With tracks like Travis Scott’s “mamacita” and Carti’s “EVIL J0RDAN” the crowd was ready for the opium takeover. Soon the lights dim, and all heads are looking around wondering where he could be coming out from. To everyone’s surprise, Lone did not walk out onto the stage, but instead walked through the crowd and went upstairs to a blocked off area to do his performance. People are going nuts reaching over trying to get a YSL handshake or anything to get his attention. As he went on you heard his more iconic tracks along with new tracks from the new album. He did a relatively super short set and I’m kind of upset that I didn’t get to see more than fifteen minutes of songs. On the other hand, with the production of it, it made me leave and genuinely listen to the album.  The tracks he did off the album live that bent my ear were, “screwed up” and “stfu”. Just something about smooth 808’s layered with chopped up hi-hats and sample audios made it an easy listen. The themes of cost of fame and self-confidence amid critics on the referred tracks made you give a feel for the artist. He wasn’t on my radar before, but he is now after seeing this condensed set. Short set or not, Lone left the spot feeling bigger than the room, and I walked out knowing I just caught a glimpse of something real.