Show Review: Speak At Trans Pecos

Though last Friday (June 16) was gloomy, that usually doesn’t stop New Yorkers from beginning their weekend on a good note. My Friday night turned into an unexpected scene of Latin, trap, and rap — sounds that merged on the stage of Trans Pecos, located on the Queens-Brooklyn border. Latino American artist Speak had just arrived in New York City exhausted from his L.A. show the night before. Surprisingly, he seemed refreshed once he settled in at Trans Pecos. He did seem a bit nervous to be back in New York, his first time headlining since 2015, but he immediately became comfortable after meeting and catching up with the supporting acts like they were old friends. The venue was decked with an abundance of plants that created a calming yet colorful mood, as red fluorescent colored lights glowed all over. The show began, the crowd spread out to the corners of the small venue. Local artists like Little Pain, Lucille Ghatti, and more set the tone for the evening with their eerie yet unique sounds.

Speak made his way to the stage, having exchanged his Adidas wear for a bright-red oversize blazer. It looked comical at first, but once he began performing, he was truly in “rap hair god” form. He began his set with the heartbroken raps of his EP My Lonely Primavera, directing them to the women in the audience, and then turned it up a notch with throwbacks and bangers from his latest, SPEAKPANTHER. Although Trans Pecos is an all-ages venue, I recommend not bringing any children under the age of sixteen; Speak is an unapologetic artist that explicitly shares whatever is on his mind, whatever is in his heart. By the end of his set, the blazer had come off and Speak was completely shirtless, shamelessly calling out any haters that felt offended. Trans Pecos was left with genuine feels similar to a family reunion parting ways.