Represent, Represent
Heidi dropped me an email yesterday morning. "Sim -- did you know about this??? Are you still sure Goodlove is in the cards for tonight?" Is this for real? A tribe called Quest performing in Glen Burnie? Were all over that. I was so excited all day, I couldn't wait for work to end.
I left Annapolis just in time to arrive at the venue around 8pm. I had heard about Michaels 8th Avenue, but I had never been. Jen, Bob, Jason, Denby, and Ritchie saw a boxing match there. They had a good time. It is located in an old converted warehouse in a business park. Kind of strange. The line for entrance was around the side of the building. They had a Cadillac Escalade ESV all tricked out and banging jams infront of the venue. Camera crews were filming the scene. Maybe we'll be on a DVD! Speaking of the scene, a wide array of people were in line. Lots of hipsters, hip-hoppers, and club kids. This has been my experience with Tribe shows, lots of different types of people. Soon, we were inside. I was about to see my first Tribe show since 1999.
The interior of the aluminum box that is Michael's looked like a prom. The tour was sponsored by Salem and Enyce. Promo stuff for both hung from everywhere. Two bars were located at the front and back of the room. The stage was up high enough for everyone to see. A DJ was spinning old school hip-hop. His mix included, Pharcyde, Kid Capri, De La Soul, amoung others. It was pretty sick. Accomping the DJ were the "Hot Girls" from "Hot-Lanta." I haven't seen girls dance like that in awhile. I was scared at times. The warm up also included some MC's from a local rap station. They gave away promotional material and hyped the crowd. Enyce gear was present by models in a short fashion show. It was an interesting way to wait for a room to fill.
The opening events seemed to start to wind down after 9pm. The crowd was suprised with the actions of a few roadies. By the way, hip-hop roadies are always dressed to the nines. They are more part of the act then support. A few guys came on stage with drinks, towels, setlists, and a Naughty By Nature banner. They placed it infront of the A tribe called Quest's banner on the center turntable setup. Is this for real? A few minutes later MCs Treach and Vinnie took the stage to "Ya down with O.P.P.?" They called it hip-hop history. When was the last time these guys performed? The crowd was jumping. I was loving it. Their set continued with favorites "Hip Hop Hooray" (all hands in the place in the air) and "Feel Me Flow." What a fantastic show. These guys really know how to work a crowd.
The place was, I would say, completely full for the main event. Everyone was packed in toward the stage. They were all there, Ali Saheed, Q-Tip, and Phife Dog. The Five-Foot Assasian was wearing a University of Maryland jersey. The show was impeccable. Lots of tracks came from The Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, and a few from Beats, Rhymes and Life. My favorites included "Can I Kick It?," "Walk on the Wild Side," "Award Tour," "Oh My God," "Sucka Nigga," and "Scenario." Each memeber of the band was having a fantastic time. They hit all the beats, cues, and lyrics on point. I was suprised how well I remebered some of words. In the middle of the set, Q-Tip talked about a Hip-Hop Renaissance. He mentioned that Wu-Tang Clan is performing and back together. He has spoken with Wyclef, and The Fugees are getting back together. Wow, this could get interesting.
It was a shame the music stopped around 11pm. Appearently, a curfew kept Tribe from performing late into the night. I would have stayed. I bet everyone would have stayed. They mentioned that this was the last night of a fifteen city tour. I really hope they put out a new album. They are one of the best groups from an era that started hip-hop.
Comments
r.i.p. ODB :'(
