Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI — October 2, 2025

Milwaukee doesn’t always land on national tour maps, which made Rico Nasty’s stop at Turner Hall Ballroom feel extra special. Fans packed shoulder to shoulder in leather, platform boots, and sharp eyeliner. Eagerly impatient “Rico Nasty! Rico Nasty!” chants began, the lights softened and the stage started to rumble.

Rico Nasty has always thrived on reinvention. From her SoundCloud origins and sugar-trap beginnings to the razor edges of Nightmare Vacation and beyond, she has carved out a sound that resists easy definition. With LETHAL, she’s entered a new era, one where punk, rap, and rock collide with raw stripped-back honesty. LETHAL is vast in its ability to resonate and balance extremes. “Smile,” the album’s closer, offers one of the clearest windows, a track about motherhood and the kind of love that always circles back. “Pink” lands like a wink to the playful Tacobella sound, while “Crash” and “Smoke Break” feel rebellious yet nostalgic. Tracks like “Grave” and “Son of a Gun” echoed with that OG, unapologetically nasty beat. Rico’s rage hasn’t softened; it’s matured and sharpened. Together, this album exudes range and emotional terrain, proving she can explore vulnerability and still dominate every moment.

On stage, she was magnetic and commanding. Swagged out in baggy pants and studded jewelry, she moved with an effortless mix of comfort and power. Her vocals coupled perfectly with the guitarist’s rock n roll grit. The setlist bridged eras seamlessly. Early hits like “Key Lime OG” and “Poppin” brought instant release, while new tracks like “Eat Me,” “Teethsucker,” and “Who Want It” sparked a different kind of fresh and unrelenting electricity throughout the venue. With LETHAL, Rico has created a new kind of intimacy, pushing further into a space where no single genre can contain her.

The crowd mirrored that intimacy with moments of eruption balanced by moments of awe, and then came “Smack a Bitch” to top it all off. The song that propelled her career, now carrying new symbolism as a reminder of her constant reinvention. Some fans had driven in from Iowa, others from rural pockets of Wisconsin, underscoring how meaningful this tour stop was for them. For most, it wasn’t just a concert; it was a gathering of outsiders, a reminder that music carves sanctuaries where belonging comes easy. What makes LETHAL remarkable isn’t simply that Rico has shifted her sound; it’s that she’s expanded it. The album resists labels, pulling punk urgency, rap temper, and rock textures into something distinctly her own. It feels less about crossing genres and more about dismantling them entirely.

By the end of the night, joy glistened in the eyes of fans, and what lingered was certainty: Rico Nasty doesn’t need spectacle to prove herself. Her present evolution of self and her command of sound speak louder than any production could. LETHAL isn’t a departure but a continuance. It’s a sharper, more intimate lens on an artist who refuses to be confined by boundaries. Rico Nasty isn’t following the trajectory of anyone before her; she’s stomping down molds and shaping her own path. Her fearlessness dares listeners to keep pace and one thing is for certain, regardless of the era, the Nasty Mob will be right there ready to rage.

Words & Photography: Sam Ferguson