At home at the Electric Factory with Jhene Aiko, SZA and more

The Electric Factory marked the fourth stop for the Enter The Void Tour and the mostly Los Angeles-based performers – headed up by Jhene AIko – really brought the Cali vibes to the Philly stage. Despite being in one of Philly’s larger venues, the performers managed to turn it into an intimate evening.

Willow Smith, having come a long way from whipping her hair back and forth, commanded the crowd with smooth vocals better than most adult performers, even at the ripe age of 14. Although she was born in Los Angeles, Smith did her Philly-native pop proud and really gave her all to her city once removed. Next up wast The Internet, whose unique jazz funk sound got the crowd moving. Odd Future’s own Syd tha Kyd, who serves as the band’s lead vocalist, brought major energy to the stage and didn’t stop smiling throughout the performance.

Closing out the opening acts was singer/songwriter Solana Rowe, better known as SZA.  While continuously interacting with the crowd, SZA sang and danced her heart out for her fans. Caught up in the energy of the night, she momentarily collapsed due to an asthma attack and had to be escorted off stage. But that wasn’t enough to stop her; after resting for a minute, SZA returned to the stage and, with the help of a stool, performed “Babylon,” a crowd favorite.

As Jhene Aiko’s performance inched closer, the smell of incense took over the Electric Factory and as smoked filled the stage, she could be seen sitting in the lotus position on a pile of pillows in the middle of the stage. She was donned in a pot leaf tank top and New Balance sneakers, sipping hot tea in between songs on a stage full of candles, and one couldn’t help but feel at home with the 26-year-old songstress. Through her open and honest lyrics, the crowd could tell she was giving all of herself to them; “This is just me venting. So thank you!”, she said.

Whether she was inspiring her fans to keep dreaming and to stay positive or calling an audience member’s “fuck boy ex” named Andy to leave him a message, Jhene kept it real, personal and genuine the entire night, as she should. Because let’s be honest, in the words of Jhene Aiko herself, “Philly keeps it real as fuck.”