After releasing his long-awaited album, “Music,” Playboi Carti and his label, Opium, went on tour, titled “Antagonist 2.0.” This was his second time announcing the tour, following its original postponement and cancellation in 2023. It consisted of four artists from Opium: Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang. Additionally, Apollored, who is part of a label founded by Playboi Carti, called Young Vamp Life. They traveled across 31 shows in the United States from October to December.
On Nov. 21, they landed in Fort Worth to perform at Dickies Arena. The concert was a success, as it was a sold-out show. There was plenty of merchandise available for fans, including t-shirts, hoodies and music vinyls. I bought a shirt for myself. Some merchandise was specific to an artist in Opium, others were merchandise for the label as a whole.
The set design consisted of two black-colored trucks placed on the left and right sides of the pit with dancers on top of them. At one point, Apollo Red performed one of his songs on top of the car, allowing the fans to get a close view of him. I was seated in a close view of the right truck, where I could see the dancers and Apollo Red up close. The main stage was located at the back and is elevated, with two black semi-trucks underneath. Throughout the show, smoke and fire were used to get the crowd hyped. As a result, the crowd was screaming all the lyrics and jumping out of their seats.
All of the artists performed their best songs. Playboi Carti, the main headliner, ended the show with an intense performance. He had a lot of people on stage, with flashing lights, a raging crowd and music significantly louder than that of the openers. He performed songs from every era of his music career, spanning from 2017 to 2025, and included songs such as “Pop Out” from his latest album and “Location” from his debut mixtape. His last song was an unreleased track popularly known as “24 Songs.” While this was being played, he walked around the arena and interacted with fans. Unfortunately, he did not get on one of the trucks, as he usually does at these shows, but it was still a great experience seeing him in person.
The openers came out with energy. Ken Carson performed hit songs such as “Fighting My Demons” and tracks from his latest album, “More Chaos,” including “Black Rockstar.” His performance was great; it consisted of loud 808s and bass. Destroy Lonely’s set was the same, playing hit songs such as “No Stylist” and “Syrup Sippin,” though a few of his songs on his latest mixtape were played. Homixide gang and Apollo Red also had a compelling set, which set the stage for Carti, Ken and Lone.
The concert was a lifetime experience. Playboi Carti even posted an Instagram story saying he can’t wait for the second leg of the tour, which could potentially be a worldwide tour. I am wondering if he will come to Texas again. If he does, I am sure I will be first in line to get tickets again to relive this experience.
