Doechii brings raw energy to Chicago’s Lincoln Hall

Doechii brought her “Alligator Bites Never Heal” tour to Chicago’s Lincoln Hall on Oct. 16. The Florida native is flying high on the momentum of her latest mixtape release, which shares the tour’s title.

The stage design resembled a Florida swamp. A smoke machine pumped out fog, building anticipation. You could almost feel the mugginess as sounds of crickets and frogs filled Lincoln Hall. The energy was palpable, and Doechii’s fans — a diverse array of personalities — were ready to see her in the flesh.

When the 5-foot-5 superstar appeared through the fog, the audience erupted. Despite her height, Doechii stands as a giant in performance and presence. As a departure from many modern performances, she ditched the backing vocals and performed each song without vocal support. That approach added a level of authenticity and connection that is sometimes missed.

Her recent mixtape takes on the tenets of rap in its purest form, celebrating raw rap and boom-bap production. As someone who lived through the golden age of rap, it was refreshing to witness a modern artist getting back to the roots of the culture. What’s special about Doechii is that she can travel between rap, R&B and pop effortlessly.

Her performance at Lincoln Hall demonstrated how stripping down can build a connection with an audience in ways that a recording can’t. Doechii is high energy, sharp engaging and entertaining.

Doechii will likely emerge as a generational talent whose contribution to the culture will be celebrated for years to come. Her attention to detail and quality delivery will make this a certainty. She is making her mark by blazing her own trail and remaining true to who she is.

You can see Doechii’s remaining tour dates here.