CLEVELAND — Music icon Drake spent two days at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse alongside J.Cole and Chicago rapper Lil Durk for the second leg of his All a Blur Tour.
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“I never thought I would actually see Drake in Cleveland; I always thought I would have to travel, “said Cleveland native Jacklyn Audino.
Some residents were confused as to why Cleveland is usually listed on the second leg of a major tour or not listed at all.
“It shouldn’t be like this; Cleveland should be the center of everything. We have the culture, we have great fans and I’ve been to concerts in Cleveland where musicians say we were the best crowd on the tour," said Cleveland native Mallory Meicar.
News 5 previously reported how major tours in 2023, like Beyonce and Taylor Swift, skipped Northeast Ohio, leaving people wondering if Cleveland is being snubbed or if it is simple economics. Cleveland Downtown Inc. social media manager Ian Meadows said Cleveland has the infrastructure to support big events.
“When you look at these artists that are really popular and have a big following like Drake coming to Cleveland , it just really shows that Cleveland is a big city that can host events like these. Which will attract other big artists, which makes sense. We’re a music city and we have so many local artists and musicians that are incredible. At the same time we also have the culture here to support all of this stuff,” said Meadows.
In addition to showing Cleveland can support major artists, Drake is boosting the economy, especially Downtown.
“Honestly, the economic side of it is what really excites us and what really makes a huge difference here in downtown Cleveland. If you look at the hotels, all these people that are coming in they're staying overnight, they're going out to eat, they're supporting all of the amazing local restaurants and bars.
Pizza 216 is one local restaurant that’s just a few steps away from Rocket Mortgage and is expecting to see a crowd from the concert.
“We're very excited for business and for two days these two major mega stars are coming here. They're able to be totally comfortable and in a city that is clearly prospering, and then at that same time downtown has been flourishing for like the last year and a half,” said general manager Christian Anzelo.
Now that Drake has raised the bar for concerts in Cleveland in 2024, fans like Daquan Pierce are expecting to see other big-name artists.
“I expect to see Future here at some point, and you know maybe Beyonce may stop by”, said Pierce.
