Kid Cudi fans packed the Michigan Theater on Monday night to see the three-time 2010 Grammy nominated hip-hop artist. The Cleveland-born, Brooklyn-based musician’s show was highly anticipated by Ann Arbor’s younger set, who were chomping at the bit for him to hit the stage.

The show mostly featured songs from Kid Cudi’s debut album, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day," his 2009 release on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, which propelled him into the mainstream spotlight. This highly autobiographical concept album told in five acts is emotional and introspective. Many of the tracks reflect upon darker psychological experiences. At the same time, a Kid Cudi show keeps the kids dancing and the mood light, despite dropping some heavy lyrics.

Metro Detroit’s One Be Lo and New York-based hip hop trio Higher Concept kicked off the show, followed by fellow Cleveland-born hip hop artist Chip Tha Ripper, who joined Kid Cudi on stage for a couple of songs.

One of his openers, "Soundtrack to My Life," a favorite among the Michigan Theater show’s audience, exemplifies the serious, autobiographical tone of "Man on the Moon: The End of Day." The track references his father’s death when Cudi was only 11 and his mother’s struggles as a single parent, as well as his own feelings of sadness and isolation. “I’ve got some issues that nobody can see / And all of these emotions are pouring outta me,” the song’s chorus reveals.

In general, Kid Cudi kept the energy of the crowd going and delivered a solid, engaging musical performance. The crowd grooved out to mostly high energy hip-hop and techno-esque beats during the first half of the show, including tracks like "Up Up and Away" and "Sky Might Fall."

Later on, he slowed things down with songs like "Solo Dolo (Nightmare)," which featured an almost haunting, heavy sound, and "Heart of a Lion," the beginning and end of which he performed without accompaniment. The Michigan Theater crowd seemed to dig his slower tracks just as much as they enjoyed getting hyped up, making for a good blend.

Near the end of the set, he kicked things back into high gear with 3 high-energy songs back-to-back, leading into his breakthrough hit single, "Day N Nite (Nightmare)." A lot of Kid Cudi’s recent rise to fame can be contributed to the popularity of this song, which originally appeared on his earlier mix tape, "A Kid Named Cudi," released in 2008. In February 2008, label Fool’s Gold released the "Day N Nite" EP. Kid Cudi’s music started generating Internet buzz and he soon became a regular collaborator with big name artists, wrote tracks for and appeared on Kanye West’s 2008 album, "808s & Heartbreak," and got plenty of face time from the print and television media.

"Man on the Moon: The End of Day" has gained a reputation for being a departure from typical mainstream hip-hop by fusing different genres, from alternative rock and emotionalism, to R&B, to more experimental sounds. Kid Cudi’s mix of different genres into his personal style is evidenced by the range of musicians he has collaborated with, from with hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z and Common, to featuring electronic rock duo Ratatat on his popular track "Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)," which he performed to close out his encore at the Michigan Theater show.

Watch a slideshow from the Kid Cudi concert at the Michigan Theater:

Most recently, Kid Cudi toured with Lady Gaga on her “Monster’s Ball” tour, leaving in December following an incident in Vancouver when he threw a punch into the crowd after someone flung a wallet at him during a solo performance. Despite the scandal, the kids still seem to love Cudi. They will see more of the artist in the near future, as Kid Cudi embarks on an acting career — he has landed a role in Mark Wahlberg’s upcoming HBO television series, “How to Make it In America.”

Kid Cudi is also working on a new release, "Cudder & The Revolution of Evolution," which has big names like Snoop, Pharrell and producer Jim Jonsin on board. MTV reported that he also wants to include rock bands like Green Day and Kings of Leon on the new album. Of the new album, Kid Cudi told MTV, “It’s gonna be the complete opposite of what ‘Man on the Moon’ was. ‘Man on the Moon’ was so serious. This one is gonna be more playful and fun. It’s about having a good time.”

Jennifer Eberbach is a free-lance writer who covers art for AnnArbor.com.