My review of the Common concert or It’s ALIVE!!! Part

I was just reminded that I promised this quite a while ago.

I know. I suck.

I was trying not to upset the people I know who couldn't go. And I'm still torn at the idea of telling you about what could possibly be the best hip-hop show I've ever seen and resigning it with the fact that you weren't there. So, here goes.

So, I ended up with an extra ticket. And since the prettiest woman I know who loved hip-hop couldn't go, I was left to start at the top of my phone's contact list and go down. Luckily for my boy, my list is alphabetical by first name and his name starts with a C. So I called Black Charles (Yes. There is a White Charles), he asked his wifes okay, and David and I met him at the HoB. The line was long, so we decided to have dinner and cut the line.

There's an interesting side story about how there was an hour and a half wait even though there were at least 10 visible tables empty. And about how we just decided to drink, but buying drinks doesn't let you cut the line, but the hostess who didn't look like us took care of us when the hostess who did look like us only shook her head "no" every time I asked her for something.

Anyway... hours, and many drinks, later we finished dinner and went to the show. I suggest the bbq pulled pork. It was excellent.

Interestingly enough, we got in at the exact moment that the opening act came on. So, had we been on the floor for the entire time, we may have gotten closer to the stage, but I would have been a little mad. There's not much to say about the Knux except they had a song with the lyric, "I want a cappuccino with a mocha chip." Yeah. It was bad. After they left, we chatted amongst ourselves and laughed with some girls around us about how bad the Knux were. On another side note, the women you meet at a hip-hop concert are interesting. I mean the ones that come alone. I know that hip-hop is not a genre meant for men, but it's still strange seeing it.

Alas, we got some more drinks and then the real show began. I think it was 3 Patron shots and maybe 3 or 4 Bluesmobiles for me during the night. I know. No need for a lecture.

The curtain came up and Common came out, starting the show with the last track from his album, aptly titled "Forever Begins." most of the show consisted of his new stuff. I wondered why he didn't start the show with Start The Show, and of course David being wise beyond his years reminded me of how cliched that would be. He of course did The People, I Want You, Southside, The Game, Black Maybe, Drivin Me Wild, Break My Heart, Misunderstood, The Light, The Corner, Go, Faithful, Come Close, and Testify. It also wouldn't be a Common show without I Used to Love HER.

He pulled a girl up on stage to do The Light and then segued into Break My Heart. (She said you know, I don't be datin rappers. I said I got my SAG card, baby. I'm an actor.) He did a full four minute freestyle in the middle of his set which was off the proverbial hook. I took the video but the sound is awful. He also went into a part after that about loving hip-hop.

The DJ played and he broke down a few lines from classic hip-hop tracks following them with the line "that's hip-hop." The coolest part about it it that he would never say the whole line. He would say the first few words and then the crowd would take over. And nobody was left out. He closed that song with the last verse of Passing Me By (Now there she goes again, the dopest Ethiopian, and now the world around me begins moving in slow motion when...) and Big Poppa (To all the ladies in the place with style and grace, allow me to lace these lyrical...). It was perfect.

For Testify, a song I never really liked, since it's basically a mix of The Usual Suspects and every other CSI plot ever, he kind of acted it out. It's a song I'll enjoy more now, mainly because of the live performance.

He also did a few tracks that weren't his. He did Kanye's Get Em High, and something from Talib Kweli, I think.

He broke into The Game and then into the highlight of the show for me, Misunderstood. It was the most fantastic part of the show. The song was slowed down a bit and everybody was singing the chorus. Then during the break of the song he talked a bit and gave a list of the people he felt were misunderstood. (Including Michael Vick and Kanye West, which had the audience rolling.)

It's still all a jumble and of course I got the tracks out of order (except for the first one), but the best part of the night was a true hip-hop show with no incidents. Just a full standing room only crowd loving the performance.

So, I have now seen a live show from all three of the subjects of my earlier blog. So, if you're fed up with the state of hip-hop today, there is hope. Find an unsigned artist to listen to. Go see a live show.

And if Common ever comes anywhere close, make sure you check it out.