Conor: Hollis Frazier-Herndon, also known as 2hollis, is a singer, rapper, and producer known for unique music, blending hyperpop, electronic, and rap. Hollis’s claim to fame is his gorgeous vocals, one-of-a-kind beats, and larger-than-life stage presence. Having been fans since 2024 and 2022, respectively, Alexis and I were elated to be able to go see him. Although the venue was not ideal for the audience involved,mainly because of its small size compared to the number of moshers, it turned out to be one of the best concerts I have been to.
Alexis: Upon arriving at Stubbs, the line to enter wrapped around the venue with people dressed in their best 2hollis-inspired outfits. The openers, Rommulas and Nate Sib, hyped up the audience with their sets. Despite Rommulas' set being very minimal (10 minutes), the crowd fired up hearing his introduction to “No Me Importa.” While the men surrounding me were having a blast, I was not. I'm used to going to shows that inevitably have some sort of moshing involved, but as a girl, it was hard to enjoy myself while everyone was trying to push and mosh. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the active crowd as I mingled with girls who were also trying to dance.
Conor: As Nate Sib’s biggest fan, being front and center for his opener was otherworldly. Opening up his set with “Tonight,” Nate Sib came out with energy and passion that we would expect from him. Although I found his set a bit short, I think that he maximized his time on stage, making his set one of the standouts of the night. Although… I may be biased, being a huge Nate Sib fan. Shoutout to his performance of “Memory.” He is to me what Justin Bieber was to girls in 2012.
Alexis: 2hollis began his set with “Flash,” with lights beaming at every angle. “Flash” is personally one of my favorite songs, and hearing it live most certainly met the expectation I had in my head. I enjoyed the subtle buildup to the most energetic part of the song, which has an insane breakdown similar to one you would hear at a rave.
Conor: About halfway through his set, 2hollis played one of his most popular songs: “Posterboy.” Having been featured on FC24 (formerly known as Fifa) and now more recently blowing up on TikTok, “Posterboy” is propelling Hollis into the limelight. His performance mirrored that hype, with cheers and cries being heard as soon as the beat started. Having been very close to the barricade, I felt the brunt of the excitement, and it was not sunshine and rainbows. With mosh pits opening up everywhere (and yes, I contributed to them), this truly was the most fun and exhausting song to experience live. After this song, I was so taken out I had to exit out the back of the crowd… and buy more merch . After my little intermission, I made my way back to around the middle of the crowd. There, Hollis started to play my personal favorite song, “Eldest Child.”This performance was everything I had hoped it would be —- raw, emotional, and passionate, leading to me screaming the whole song (even pushing through the judgey stares) and eventually crying. As the youngest child in my family, I cannot relate to this song at all, but that doesn't take away from the love I hold for this beauty of a track and the beauty of the performance.
Alexis: The highlight of his performance to me was “Cliche,” as this is a song that holds deep meaning. While most of his tracks are known to be upbeat, this one is truly a standout as it carries both energy and emotion. The story of the track follows a flawed romance and the experience of being young and in love. The beat captures that rush of connection, while the lyrics hint at the possibility of loss. To me, it’s the kind of song that fits perfectly in both love and heartbreak. I definitely moved around and might have had a tear slip or two.
Alexis: At the end of his performance, he plays his iconic song, “Jeans,” igniting the crowd even though it's obvious they are exhausted from the intense energy of the whole set. The movement to this song was insane, and he replayed it a whopping seven times back to back —- each time spreading more energy. At this point, I was severely exhausted, but I managed to muster up the last bit of energy I had to engage with the people around me. I left the show with eyeliner smeared and jewelry missing.
Alexis and Conor: Despite all of our gripes, 2hollis and Boylifes’ (the group that includes 2hollis, Natesib, Romulus, and more) performance at Stubbs carried both a fire and sentiment that we feel has been lacking from recent concerts we have seen. With the captivating beats accompanied by the surprisingly magnificent vocals, Boylife is carving out its own corner in music, and seeing them at such a turning point was truly wonderful.