Openers slow a great show
Considering my horrible encounter with an immature crowd the last time I saw a show at New Oasis, I was concerned about entering the Del tha Funkee Homosapien concert this past Saturday night. My expectations were exceptionally high considering I had been waiting seven years to see Del, my favorite rapper of all time, live. However, the downfall of the night would come from my own doing.
Arriving about 30 minutes before the first opening act started was possibly the worst idea ever. Opening for Del were Counter Productive and Bukue One. Before the concert started, Bukue was challenging kids to “SKATE” while the members of Counter Productive were selling merchandise in the corner. While Bukue One is pretty well-known and respected in the underground scene, Counter Productive came out of nowhere.
DirtBag Dan and Able Abilities, along with their DJ, Skylar G., hopped on stage sporting basketball jerseys and shirts that read “Do You Know Who The Fuck I Am?” to perform multiple “complaint” tracks. Through rushed rhymes and shouted choruses, Counter Productive complained about everything from mainstream radio to politics and back again. Normally this would not be a big problem. Fans of underground are usually liberal hipsters. However, this show is all about Del, who is known for being one of the chillest rappers around.
By the time their set ended, I needed a break. But before I could sit down, another rapper was on stage, surprisingly enough. Knobody, a newly signed rapper to the Hieroglyphics Imperium record label, was given his first chance to perform live. While the idea was cool, it was obvious he lacked experience. His delivery was immature and his lyrics were sophomoric. A-Plus of Souls of Mischief fame spun records while the kid rhymed for the crowd. That is when I noticed the repetitiveness of the crowd.
Like spilled milk, the floor was completely white. The entirely Caucasian, teenage crowd was like a déjà vu of the Saves The Day concert I went to a few weeks ago, except for one minor detail. Everyone was high. Floating above our heads was a thick haze generated from some very sneaky toking, despite the giant, biker-like security guards who looked like they would take down the first pot smoker they catch.
Once the crowd made Knobody feel like somebody important, he finished his set. Next up was Bukue One. While DJ Zac Hendrix mixed funky beats preceding the performance, Bukue landed a few kickflips on stage before letting his dreads loose and working the microphone.
Bukue’s rhymes were fun and carefree, much like his overall attitude, keeping the crowd going. But once he began talking to the crowd and attempting random freestyles, he overstayed his welcome. For what seemed like an hour and a half, Bukue continued to talk about respecting women, George Bush and the awesomeness of Reggae; things that no one really cared about at the time. There was even one point in which he asked if we were excited for Del and no one cheered, clearly signifying that no one was listening. Finally he finished his set.
At about 10:30 p.m., Del walked on stage and the crowd erupted. Singing every word from start to finish of “At The Helm,” the audience loved every bit of Del. There was one kid who was about four feet tall and nine years old, dancing like Macaulay Culkin on shrooms. As the show continued, the haze grew larger. It was obvious by his coughing, goofy laughter and lack of balance that Del was completely stoned. As cool as that sounds, it resulted in a 45-minute set, leaving everyone happy, but unsatisfied.
The rule of this story is this: if you love a rapper, see them in concert. However, if you’re not a fan of his opening acts, only see that rapper. Do not arrive three hours early to suffer through lame acts. You’ll regret it.
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on Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 12:11 am and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, InsideReno.
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