Justin Nuoffer
Prof
w/ Sophie Hunter + Grieves
4/18/25 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
The cold and wet Friday night couldn’t stop fans from lining up early to get into The Sylvee. The crown jewel of music venues in the Upper Midwest was illuminated under the gloomy skies. Drizzling rain splashed against the large glass facade and dripped down onto the marquee. That marquee brightly flashed “Prof SOLD OUT” across the front of it. The buzz in the waiting crowd was at a fever pitch as the doors opened—the line wrapped around the corner and down East Washington Street. Off in the distance, the state capital’s dome was barely visible through the wet fog. However, Madison was alive and eager to walk through those glass doors. After all, Pookie Baby himself was in town. Prof has arrived for the first stop of his rescheduled tour.
Fans hustled into the venue through the security checkpoint and onto the general admission areas. The venue is an efficient multi-level facility. The main floor is straight through the doors and down a flight of stairs. Wrapped around it is a standing area as well. On the second level are two rows of reserved seating that circle the entire floor below and behind the seats are two tiers of standing room. On the third level are suites. Those are rented to groups and held by sponsors. The design is about maximizing space and sightlines.
After DJ Willie Wonka gave a thirty-minute warm-up bumping classic hip hop songs, the crowd was ready to go. Sophie Hunter, the New York-based artist, strolled out to the stage. She took in the view and smiled.
The internet songstress grabbed control of the audience’s attention from the first note. She strolled the entire stage with attitude and crushed it. Fans knew her and had no issues singing out lyrics to “Cha Cha”, “Tenfold”, and “2 Shots of Patron”. She even commented that this was her first tour ever.
For her first show ever as a performing artist on a big stage, we should be lucky to witness the ground floor of a bright future. The Sylvee was bouncing and full of fun vibes. As Hunter made her way to her merch booth in the back of the room, she stopped and greeted fans. The humbleness and gratitude were earnest.
As the stage darkened, the venue remained active. Grieves ran out to the front of the stage and launched himself into a high-impact, energetic set of songs. Armed with seven studio albums and a handful of EPs, there was plenty of material to choose from. It didn’t matter, though. The crowd bounced and sang it along with him. The Madison faithful came well prepared.
Grieves is no stranger to stopping in Madison either, and he let them know he remembered them showing up to the other venues. With his ball cap dipped low, his eyes were shaded over. However, his smile was bright. The amount of satisfaction he took was appreciated.
With tracks like “Let The Devil In”, “Light Speed”, and “Kidding Me” the excitement that was created couldn’t have been a more impressive warm up for Grieves. His easily solidified his position as direct support to Prof.
The Bad Time Boy tour is Prof’s warm-up run to his massive Red Rocks date at the end of the month. The Sylvee was ready for the raucous wordsmith from Minneapolis, merely four hours West. DJ Willie Wonka is posted inside a Ford Mustang convertible on the right side of the stage. Across the stage are lawn chairs and tables like a backyard set up. Along the back of the stage, a massive video board projects the back of a house and a door. The door opens up, and Prof walks out in a purple devil mask and starts waving a towel around while lyrically dishing out the words to “Andre The Giant”.
Slowly, he removes the mask and gives every opportunity for the crowd to scream. With a giant smile on his face, he encouraged them to get loud and started ripping through “Deadman Shuffle”. If there is anything to take away about Prof and his live show, it’s the fact that he is unrelenting. The man is one nonstop hype train. Dancing across the stage. Jumping to every beat. Waving a towel. His energy is gripping. Then you match it with his unique delivery and cadences. There is nothing like Prof’s music out there. He is in his own company.
His setlist is littered with smashes like “High Priced Shoes”, “Cutthroat”, and “Horse”. Impressively, his new single “Dynamite” was a showstopper. His upcoming album Good Time Boy is set to be released this year. Much like the enthusiasm and all-out chaos of his shows, the hype surrounding the release is sky high. Prof is a showman first and foremost. Whether he is riding an inflatable raft around the general admission area or throwing water around, he finds a way to keep you glued and maintain an elevated level of excitement. The man is an S-tier performer who is nearly unmatched. Being an independent artist and selling out the 2,500-person venue is a sign that his career is just starting to take off.
Check out our concert photos from Prof below:
As the performance ended, chanting rang out with “Prof” echoing throughout. No one wanted to leave. The reluctance to head towards the door was strongly felt. The performance was amazing, and wanting more of it was natural. Outside on the street, fans waited for their rides and took pictures in front of the marquee. Others headed into the surrounding bars. The fun and festive feeling was a great start to the rest of the night in an already busy Madison night. This may have been the first tour stop, but there was no doubt that everything was well run and freshly planned. Prof once again proved why he sells out venue after venue. Overall, the independent spirit is in tip-top shape, and this billing isn’t something to be missed.
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