The courtship between art and commerce is a tricky one, but when a brand invests in music in a way that legitimately benefits not only its customers and the artist but people from the artist’s community, it’s good business all around. And at a time when the concert experience can be downright insulting to the customer — most of whom have invested horrifying amounts of money and time with no guarantee of it paying off — it’s even better business to make them feel like they’re flying first-class.
“Jack Harlow’s Louisville,” a hometown-themed concert sponsored by American Express and exclusively for card holders, was basically like a large version of one of those corporate events most humans only read about, crossed with a really rich friend’s kid’s sweet sixteen party. It was held at Brooklyn Steel, an 1,800-capacity, five-year-old venue with a spacious upstairs balcony (which was used as VIP for this event) that includes a sunken terrace that’s basically the equivalent of box seats (and was ultra-VIP).
As soon as concertgoers passed through security at the venue, they were greeted by wait staff bearing trays piled with free food from Harlow’s favorite Italian restaurant, Vincenzo’s, including turkey and tomato sandwiches, fettucini and delicious macaroons. There was a bounteous open bar that featured craft Kentucky cocktails made with Jim Beam, including a Louie Lemonade and First Class Slugger, as well the venue’s usual range of drinks. There was a five-piece customizable fashion capsule collection created in partnership with Louisville illustrator Bri Bowers, featuring iconic Louisville landmarks on T-shirts and posters, including Churchill Downs Racetrack, the legendary (but sadly closed) Ear X-Tacy record store, and Morris’ Deli, which was featured in Harlow’s stage set during his “No Place Like Home” tour. (They even handed out cannolis to concertgoers as we left.)
For the concert, Harlow played a solid if slightly condensed hour-long set with all of his hits — including his feature on Lil Nas X’s Hot 100-topping “Industry Baby” — that climaxed with an appearance from veteran Louisville rapper Bryson Tiller. He was accompanied by a four-piece band, effects and a full light show. The Brooklyn crowd lapped it up: Mostly in their 20s, they were well-dressed and enthusiastic, but largely without the overly aggressive or inebriated element that lots of shows for this age group have. And for those who couldn’t attend, it was livestreamed on Twitch.
This is hardly the first-ever deeply personalized event between an artist and a brand: Lady Gaga has done several, including a dive-bar tour sponsored by Bud Light and, with AmEx, a recreation of her pre-fame lifestyle for her 2014 concerts closing the city’s Roseland Ballroom; and of course many major tours have deals with credits cards that give cardholders early access to tickets. Earlier this year, Amex and Harry Styles partnered to give away 1,200 complimentary tickets to the singer’s “One Night Only” concerts in New York and London with surprise pop-up activations, and it also teamed up Lizzo to for a planetarium-esque lightshow in New York celebrating the release of her latest album, “Special,” as well as an invite-only hometown show in Detroit as part of SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series. But “Jack Harlow’s Louisville” this may have been the first on its scale where an artist brought some hometown businesses along for the ride.
Make no mistake, the corporate branding was literally over the top: A giant illuminated AmEx sign hung over the stage, and there company signage almost everywhere you looked. Obviously, these events are clearly for the 10% if the not 1% — and yes, we’d love to see an equally big investment for a group of independent artists as well as major ones.
But it’s an intriguing model that could conceivably work as a small tour, and possibly a bigger one in better economic times. And most importantly, “Jack Harlow’s Louisville” shows what can be done if a brand is willing to invest at that level and allow an artist that much control.
