When Afroman played in Bakersfield at B Ryder’s, he played to an appreciative crowd that danced and really got down.

Afroman first became known when his song “Because I Got High” became a national hit in 2000.

He calls the experience of seeing that song explode, “unreal” and “cartoonish.” He has been recording and touring ever since.

Afroman was playing music as early as six years old. He first got his start after a little trouble at school.

“I wrote about my teachers sending me to the principal’s office for something petty,” he said. “I had to get expelled, and I had a little free time on my hands, made a song.”

Right from the start, he found success.

“It did really good. [The song] made a little capital.”

Afroman sees his music as a celebration of the stoner and marijuana culture.

“I hate to admit it,” he said. “I was designed for a buzzing person. I design the music and the lyrics [after that.] You got the rapping killer, the rapping gangster, the rapping pimp, I’m the rapping drunk pothead, so if you get high you gotta feel me.”

During the show, the audience showed an appreciation not often shown for acts at venues like B Ryder’s.

Audience members moved and danced with gusto. None of his jokes or asking for participation fell flat.

During parts of the show, women would jump up on stage and dance with him. People seemed to be having a really good time. You could only describe it as a party atmosphere.

Afroman loved the feeling of playing to such a crowd, a crowd that was really feeling him.

“There ain’t no better feeling,” he said. “It’s the ultimate feeling. Ain’t nothing better than Afroman [for that party feeling.]”

He gave back to this energy by having a meet and greet, where anyone could take a picture with him, or have him sign items like baseball caps.

Afroman’s meet and greet was more involved than other meet and greets often could be.

He had several-minute conversations with his fans and he listened.

He laughed heartily at their jokes. He was just having a good time interacting with his fans.

When he tried to leave, groups of fans followed him out. He didn’t just brush off these fans, he talked with them, laughed with them and he even goofed off with them by doing playful things like chasing them around cars.

He was smiling and laughing after the show. He seemed to be happy to give back to an audience that gave him an “ultimate feeling.”