Yelawolf Drops on Epicentre

Going to watch Yelawolf in Mira Mesa was like being let in on a secret. Even through several underwhelming openers (except for locals Black Resume, whose lively set seemed to gain a few new fans by set's end), you could feel everyone was anxious to see if this Yelawolf dude was the real deal.

The white rapper from Alabama took over the hip-hop blogosphere in 2010 with his Trunk Muzik mixtape, a showcase of dizzying, trailer-park twang atop country rap tunes. His buzz culminated in a major-label deal with the Eminem-helmed Shady imprint of Interscope Records. No one knows about him yet, but they will soon. This was his first show in San Diego.

It was clear that Yela is still high off his newfound stardom. At every hook, he seemed on the brink of surfing the sea of concertgoers. It helped that half the audience had memorized every lyric of Trunk Muzik, which Yelawolf performed almost in entirety. He had rock-star moxie, asking everyone to raise their middle finger as he conducted them like a school choir in the refrain for "F.U." For the cinematic closer "Pop That Trunk," the hoodie, shirt, and beanie all came off as he painted a portrait of a blue collar, country ghetto. But it was during his encore, "In This Club," that Yela made good on his threats, mounting the beams high above the crowd and, finally, diving in.

• Concert: Yelawolf, Black Resume, Reason the Citizen
• Date: February 2
• Venue: Epicentre in Mira Mesa
• Seats: General admission