Nights Out East: KEEFE Album Release Show (Write Up)

Photos By: /CW intern photographer Mitzi

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to a Genesis Renji show? Alright cool. Now raise your hand if you can say undoubtedly that every Genesis Renji show you’ve been to was FIRE and exceeded your expectations? Exactly. So there was no surprise that Gen’s latest show at Bremen Cafe for his Keefe album release party would be any different. In fact, this show specifically was probably top 2, but not 2, in my opinion. And I’m going to tell you why if you weren’t there, you should’ve been.

Right out the gates, we are going to highlight the fact that this show was completely free. Yup, FREE.99. How many shows do you go to nowadays in Milwaukee where you don’t have to pay for a show? Not too many. This set the show apart right away. Especially since Gen isn’t a new artist trying to grab your attention, he’s already got it, and if you’re a creative, Eastsider, music lover, etc, you either know who he is or have heard his work. So that was dope to give people the opportunity to come out and have a great time without having to worry about the cost.

Secondly, the place got packed...QUICKLY. Doors opened at 9PM and the place was already getting full by 9:30. This was impressive because you already know how people like to be fashionably late to the function lol. By 10:00PM when the show started, the entire room was crowded wall-to-wall in a mostly standing room only venue. The number of people in the room didn’t surprise me though because the music lineup was crazyyyy. MoCity, CT, Von Alexander and J-Lamo (who actually is dropping an EP today called “Born And Raised,” go check that out), performed and they all did their thing. 

I’ve been to a packed out show before, but this one felt different. I think the intimate size of the venue played a good part in that too, because the crowd felt like a beautiful harmonious blend of people genuinely wanting to have a good time. No drama. No hate. Even though it was super jammed in there and extremely stuffy…(wooo lol), to me it didn’t seem like they cared that much about that. They just wanted to show support to Gen, his project and all the other artists. 

Everyone was laughing, saying hey to folks they haven’t seen in a while, almost like a big family reunion of people who are able to vibe with each other on a different level. 

The #1 thing I believe made this night even more special though, was that Gen’s sister came all the way from Dallas to see the show. He said she has never actually seen him perform before, so that meant a lot to him.

We interview Gen often and are always picking his brain, but for a special show like this, we had to do another sit down for the one time.

CW: “What made this show be a “must see?”

GEN: “I think location mattered. This being a north [east] side show it was more convenient for people. But then the KEEFE album being one of the more impactful bodies of work I put out, especially for Milwaukeeans, I think people wanted to experience that live. And I have a good reputation for very memorable shows.”

CW: “What made you want to throw a show for this album?”

GEN: “This is something that I’ve seen resonates with people so far musically, so why not give them a free version of it again in a live performance so it resonates even more.”

CW: “Why did you choose these artists for the lineup?”

GEN: “The artists I have on the lineup, I feel like those guys are a great representation of Milwaukee music and also just Black men who might not have lived on Keefe, but have experienced what the city represents in itself and the music just makes sense to me. I love all of their music individually, it flows with what I’m doing tonight and it just works.”

CW: “Why do you think the people rock with this album so hard?”

GEN: “This one is different than my other albums. Keefe in itself is like a conceptual album, so you play it in its entirety. And I think people really relate to it because a lot of the stories being told on there are real personal experiences but they’re experiences people relate to. Whether they’ve been through them or not. I think people see are seeing themselves in this album.”

CW: ‘What would you say your message is with this album? What do you want people to take away from it?”

GEN: “When we first started the album, there were two words that I had in mind: uncomfortable growth. Because I wasn’t born here, Milwaukee has forced me to grow in ways that I wasn’t prepared for, didn’t think I should have, but other times that I needed to grow and wasn’t ready for. I think the biggest thing to take away from Keefe is that you’re going to change, but you’ll be alright. And you need to be heard so if people aren’t listening, make them listen.”

The stories he told the audience before some of the songs were perfect for the intimate setting the venue provided. Gen said the takeaway for the show was just...him. Knowing him more behind the music. 

With that being said, Gen is the G.O.A.T. (as he will tell you himself...multiple times lmao) and if you missed this show, I’m letting you know now you don’t want to miss the next.

/Carrie for CW