I was in the minority of those who attended the recent Columbus stop of NF’s Therapy Session tour. You see, I was going into the show “blind.” I was offered the chance, as I often am, to review a show of an artist I’m not that familiar with. This week, that artist was NF and I decided to seize the opportunity.

The hip hop artist from Saginaw, Michigan is undoubtedly a great entertainer who has the industry grabbed by the horns. I quickly realized that this was a show geared for the diehard NF fans though. People screamed along to every word and I saw people from all walks of life in the Newport. Show crowds often have a certain “look” about them and that was not the case with this one. This impressed me, especially given that was a decidedly Christian market show (complete with a house music Spotify playlist labeled “Clean rap” that I spied from behind the sound booth). I’m not knocking CCM shows at all – I credit this market for igniting the fire in me that got me involved with the music scene – just observant of the quirks in different settings.

But anyway…as far as I could tell (and also with a bit of using Setlist.FM as an online cheat sheet) NF dabbled from across his two albums that have garnered him the most momentum. He briefly recalled his first release, asking the audience if anyone owned a copy. After some inevitable cheers he quipped “I’m sorry,” to a chorus of chuckles. “But, you gotta chase your dreams, you know?” he said. Yes, NF, you do.

All in all, this performance was rife with beats, and LED jumbotrons that told a story while giving the rapper a constant aura of mystery due to his silhouette constantly being illuminated. The angle obscured his face for much of the performance, making me feel a little disconnected from his performance yet allowing me to enjoy the atmosphere that had my body vibrating from the bass.

The show was opened by Michigan-born Nashville transplant Fleurie, one of the artists heading up the blooming indie pop movement in Music City. With little more than a piano, her voice, and her friend playing a drum sample pad, Fleurie navigated her catalogue of ethereal, hypnotic tunes while remaining heartwarming in demeanor. The set was heavy with songs from her new release Love and War along with Arrows’ “Still Your Girl” and a cover of “Fix You.” I perhaps got a hint of Fleurie’s future when during a conversation with her afterward a fan rushed up and gushed “You’re AMAZING!” The set overall was sparkly and kind of mysterious and I think people latched on to that.