The crowd is dead silent. From the silence erupts a chant: “Tecca, Tecca, Tecca.” The crowd begins to jump and yell louder and louder. The smoke machines shoot up into the air as Lil Tecca runs onto the stage with his unparalleled energy and enthusiasm.

I was initially skeptical of Lil Tecca’s ability to impress, as his latest album was both a lyrical and production failure. I have often ridiculed his catalog as heartless and bland. But on March 13 at San Francisco’s Warfield, Lil Tecca proved me wrong. 

The concert began with an extremely lackluster lineup of second-string openers including Fuego, Chow Lee and tana. Unfortunately, these artists failed their most important tasks: engaging the crowd and playing quality music. The fact that I was more engaged with the DJ’s rendition of Travis Scott’s “FEIN” over any song played by the openers was embarrassing. 

Lil Tecca was faced with the seemingly impossible task of engaging an audience that was bored with his intolerable openers and weak setlist. However, he aced this challenge with grace and perfection. 

From the moment he ran onstage, Lil Tecca turned a lifeless crowd into a beacon of energy. Playing a perfect mix of old hits like “CHOPPA SHOOT THE LOUDEST” and new hits like “500lbs,” he hooked the crowd in with every word.

Every song had the crowd jumping up and down, moshing with a passion and fury I had never seen before. The openers left me skeptical, but Tecca’s crushing performance resolved all my doubts. I fell in love with his unexpected energy.

As the crowd calmed down, red and white confetti rained on the audience as Lil Tecca performed his hit song “Ransom.” The audience rapped every word in unison, dancing like there was no tomorrow.

Lil Tecca absolutely impressed me. Both the atmosphere and energy he brought played to his strengths and allowed him to play lyrically lacking songs. He knew this was not a crowd of critics, but instead a group who came to celebrate and enjoy the show.

Every song felt like a hit, and despite the weak start, he was able to revive the crowd with an immaculate show. I can proudly say, “We Love You Tecca.”