By Matthew Becerra, April 14, 2026
Underground rap heavyweights Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE previewed their atmospheric Surf Gang produced double album “POMPEII // UTILITY” March 25 in Los Angeles with a pleasantly intimate and humorous listening party showcasing their new captivating laid-back flows and forward thinking post-trap production ahead of the albums official release April 3.
Held at MakeOutMusic, the event felt more like a sweaty underground party than a traditional album promotion event. Fans packed inside the dimly lit space under a disco ball, with most gravitating toward the DJ booth, which created a cramped feeling due to limited space to move around.
Despite this, there was a feeling of community as fans in the crowd recognized each other from previous shows and conversed about expectations for the album.
Before MIKE and Sweatshirt took the stage, Surf Gang members Harrison and Evilgiane warmed up the room with a DJ set that bounced between ambient sounds and hip-hop. The selections ranged from atmospheric loops to songs by Niontay and Sideshow to Southern trap staples like “Surf” by Young Thug, a nod to the collective’s own name, which was amusing to put together.
As the crowd settled in, MIKE and Sweatshirt took the stage to ask for a round of applause for the DJ and then asked the crowd if they were ready to hear some new music.
The album is structured as a double project split between the two artists, with MIKE leading the “Pompeii” half and Sweatshirt taking control of “Utility”, similar to the structure of OutKasts “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” Unlike OutKast’s double album, both sides of “POMPEII // UTILITY” share similar production styles and themes.
Though MIKE and Sweatshirt share a similar underground “traditional hip-hop” aesthetic inspired by artists like MF DOOM, the sound of the album leans more into a fast-paced plugg style with punchline lyricism and lazier flows, a sound that perfectly suits both of their delivery styles. This is what I’ve wanted to hear from Sweatshirt for years after listening to him feature on similar projects with MIKE produced by Tony Seltzer.
Sweatshirt performed “Tour de France” after a brief speech to the crowd about how him and MIKE finally made an album after years of anticipation by fans. His vocal presence was more active than what was recorded on the official release and felt celebratory with a louder flow and emphasis on certain lyrics and punchlines that he seemed proud of.
MIKE and Sweatshirt took turns performing tracks off their side of the album mixed in with songs from their own discography, Throughout the night they also performed each other’s songs and finished each other’s punchlines.
This is something I wish there was more of on the album as they only have two tracks featuring each other. Their performance of lead single “Leadbelly” was a highlight with them showcasing their on-stage chemistry bouncing bars back and forth. Their performance of their other collab “Kirkland” was also entertaining with them putting lots of emphasis on the last verse by Sweatshirt which turned into a callout to the crowd.
At several points, MIKE encouraged the crowd to bring more energy ,saying they made an album with 808’s to dance to, not stand still. The audience responded with cheers and laughter creating memorable moments like the performance of “:( again :)” by Sweatshirt where his entire entourage came to the edge of the stage alongside Sweatshirt interacting with the crowd as they turned the lights off.
After this, the concert became livelier with moshing to the fast-paced songs like “Back Home”, chants to MIKE and Sweatshirt and more.
Another moment came when MIKE performed “Da Bid (Featuring Jadasea)” and gave instructions to the crowd to help everyone open up a bit.
Before the song MIKE explained all he could think about was the “Take Me Thru Dere” dance that went viral on TikTok when making it. He asked the crowd to perform the dance. which caused an eruption of laughter as he danced with the crowd.
Throughout the night, MIKE and Sweatshirt casually moved around the DJ booth and stage. Instead of standing front and center the entire time, they even blended into the crowd pointing to people and having conversations with their entourage on the side of the stage.
When MIKE and Sweatshirt finished playing songs off the album, the event didn’t immediately end. Instead, the music transitioned into upbeat tracks and DJ selections while the artists and their friends danced and smoked alongside fans.
MIKE came to the side of the stage several times and signed vinyls, merch and CDs. It was refreshing to see an artist give extra time to fans.
What began as a listening party gradually evolved into a loose after-party with the crowd spilling outside the venue, mingling with each other and friends of MIKE and Sweatshirt.
