Odd Future’s Camp Flog Gnaw entertained, despite sub-par live sets

By Alec Lautanen
Editor-in-Chief

Hip-hop collective Odd Future broke from its regular touring schedule to host its own set of carnivals, known as Camp Flog Gnaw. On Sept. 12, the group hosted it’s last carnival in Los Angeles. Flog Gnaw was ambitious and because of this extremely successful, combining games, food and rides to produce an very entertaining event.
The carnival tour started in late August in Norfolk, Virginia and since then, Odd Future has stopped in cities across America to promote Tyler, the Creator’s upcoming album,“Wolf,” and the group’s TV show, “Loiter Squad.”
Odd Future held the carnival in a parking lot across from the L.A. Live entertainment center and closed with an Odd Future show at Club Nokia. Aside from standard carnival attractions, Flog Gnaw featured a stage with sets by other rappers for the four-hour carnival. Among these acts was a stellar set by The Internet, an electronic collaboration associated with Odd Future, made up of Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians.
Odd Future’s actual participation in the festival made Flog Gnaw even more enjoyable. Throughout the afternoon, members including Tyler the Creator, Taco Bennett and Mike G rode rides, played games and walked around the festival. One of the best parts about the carnival was the minimal security; fans could follow Odd Future members around and take pictures easily.
An issue with the carnival was the discrepancy between VIP and normal admission tickets. VIP ticket-holders were promised a separate and faster entrance, but instead, all attendees were combined into one long, inefficient line.
A huge highlight of Flog Gnaw was the wide variety of games and easiness to win prizes. Some guaranteed winners and others gave substantial things, like hats, as base-level prizes. Food at the carnival was overpriced and lacked in quality, which was disappointing.
For an event as anticipated as Flog Gnaw, the carnival itself ran smoothly. Lines were rarely above 15 minutes for any individual ride or game, and breakdowns were minimal and quickly fixed. Rides included a Ferris wheel, giant slide, and a swing ride.
In contrast to the success of the carnival, Odd Future’s musical performance was somewhat disappointing. The first segment of the set was hilarious, with DJ Hodgy Beats bringing his four-year-old daughter Chloe out to dance for 10 minutes, but Odd Future’s performance was short. It lasted just over an hour, and although it covered a large amount of hits, the popular songs were not spread out enough to retain attention throughout the show. The second half was definitely the highlight of the set, with Lil Wayne coming out to close with “No Worries” and “Pop That.”
The group’s stage presence also seemed muted compared to previous shows. In the past, Odd Future has been noted for its on-stage rowdiness and actions ranging from head-stomping (feet-first stage diving) to jumping off speaker towers.
Overall, Camp Flog Gnaw was a huge success. Even though the carnival wasn’t extremely expansive, a large amount of rides and games made the four-hour event consistently fun. Although actual performances could have been better, the carnival overall was still very entertaining.