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Review: Paramount Room
photo via Damian Marley's myspace
The venue was divided into the main amphitheatre area and a second smaller outdoor stage. We arrived just in time to catch the second half of Buckshot and KRS-One ramping fans into a frenzy on the second stage. A great flow and a knack for charming the crowd made this one of the standout performances of the festival. We've been to a lot of shows in our day, and never have we seen fans go so crazy for promotional posters being tossed offstage.
Compared to the vast emptiness of the amphitheatre early in the day, the second stage had the perfect, essence of summer vibe. The sun shone hot as eager fans gathered in close for the act we personally had been waiting years to see live. Greeting the crowd with a booming, "What's up motherfuckers?" M.O.P. set the audience on fire. Fists slammed the air, feet danced and a wide-eyed look of holy shit was commonplace across the faces watching the stage, awaiting whatever came next. M.O.P. live was an aural riot and a visual onslaught that lived up to our every expectation. As they closed their set with Ante Up, we half expected the riotous fans (ourselves included) to take off en masse and loot the snack kiosks.
Anticipating Talib's upcoming set we circumvented the two staging areas, checking out K'naan and Slum Village. K'naan proved himself a fantastic storyteller, deserving of the hype surrounding his 2009 debut release, Troubadour. Slum Village put on an entertaining set, but ultimately, this group will never be the same without Dilla and it was obvious in the apathetic reactions of the crowd.
People finally began descending into the amphitheatre and pit as Talib Kweli took the main stage. The sound was not to his liking and it was clear he was unhappy throughout his set. Screaming at the sound guy repeatedly, Talib felt like a small man on a very big stage. Eventually he gave up and rescinded to performing as best he could, but it was too late and the crowd had soured at his lackluster performance and the apparent chip on his shoulder.
Big Boi followed Talib in stark contrast, hitting the stage with all the energy Talib lacked. In our biggest surprise of the day, Big Boi won our hearts with energy, enthusiasm and sheer fun factor. While we wish there had been a little more solo material in the mix, we can't complain about much else. Big Boi was the perfect act needed to segue day to night and reset the sun-exhausted crowd.
The Roots followed Big Boi, setting up a full live band's worth of gear including a marching sousaphone. It was obvious that this was going to be an ambitious set. Even on the cavernous stage, The Roots performed intimately, leading the crowd through a jazz-influenced, mature and sophisticated performance. In a show that felt more Austin City Limits than outdoor music festival, The Roots again solidified themselves as next level talents, capable of crafting memorable rhymes and even more memorable live performances.
We had been looking forward to the stage antics of Busta Rhymes and rumors had begun to circulate that he was not in attendance and would not perform. Rumors proved to be just that as Busta took the stage for the wildest, most energetic 30 minutes of the day. It began to rain around us, but not a single body in the crowd noticed anything other than the heat emanating from the stage. We aren't sure why Busta was cut so short, but he made the most of his stage time, weaving snippets of his greatest hits into a medley that turned the pit into full-on dance mayhem. Busta is his own best hype man and he lived up to his every reputation tenfold as he brought M.O.P. onto the main stage, accompanying them in a second performance of what would become the anthem of the day, Ante Up.
The moment we had collectively waited for finally began as the stage was dressed with banners of the world for Damian Marley and Nas' closing performance. Marley appeared with dreads nearly scraping the floor and immediately launched into inspired song. A duo of militia-dressed back-up singers and full band accompanied Marley as he reminded the crowd, "Chicago we don't need no more trouble". The formality of the amphitheatre setting coupled with the night sky and gently falling rain were the perfect backdrop for a bar none musical experience.
We were slightly unsure how Nas would fit into the equation, but hesitation turned to awe as Nas joined Marley on stage to perform tracks from their upcoming project together. It was a different side of Nas than audiences were used to, but no less than his very best. Marley gave way for Nas to perform several solo rhymes, then the duo reunited to close the set. Many performers share the stage at some point in their careers, but Marley and Nas were a truly unique and complementary pairing that left a lasting impression on every ticket holder in attendance.
It occurred to us as we headed back to the city that the same fans complaining about the lack of hip-hop representation at Pitchfork Festival, or the light offerings of Lollapalooza are the same fans unwilling to travel just outside the city's limits for a full lineup of some the of the best hip-hop talent working today. Rock the Bells was more than a great day of music, it was a reminder of what it means to be a fan.
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I know quite a few people that are delighted by the lack of hip hop at Pitchfork and Lolla.
...live hiphop is quite boring.
A surprising number of otherwise good hip-hop artists seem to have troubles taking their music to the stage. Other's have no troubles, consider last year's Pitchfork, Public Enemy were anything but boring (once they finally started) and seemed like the best thing in the universe after listening to the snoozefest that was Sebadoh.
if you dont like live hip hop why are you reading and commenting on a ROCK THE BELLS show! braniacs
Here are my thoughts from the show:
1. Busta got robbed. He easily had the best set of the night and the biggest disappointment of the show was that his set was cut to 25/30 min. I blame the organizers for starting the show late and throwing off the main stage for the whole day (The Roots only got to play for 30 minutes!?!?!?). Plus, does Charlie 2na really need a full band for a 20 minutes set? It took at least 20 minutes to set the band up.
2. Damian Marley should not have been invited and he certainly should not have been a co-headliner. This is a HIP-HOP show.
3. Nas should not have been a headliner. He was 2nd on the bill last year and this year he moved to headliner? I guess RTB was not able to secure a viable headliner and that is a shame. Nas does not have the stage presence to headline a show. This was made all the more obvious after seeing Busta rip it up and own the crowd.
4. RTB 2010 needs a new venue. I suggest breaking it into a 2 day festival at Northerly Island with 4-5 acts each night. The fact is the show didn't really start until the sun went down. Having a 2nd stage is nice for the smaller acts but Tinley Park is just too big for this show.
5. Chicago got screwed with the lineup. No Common, no Ice Cube, no EPMD, no Cypress Hill. Last year's lineup was WAY better than this year.
Whether or not I go next year will depend on the lineup but if its anything like this year I will be skipping it.
Nas was great last year and I'm not even a big Nas fan! If he was wack I bet it was due, in part, to the fact that he has a LOT of personal ish going on right now...
Duuuudes!
See, here is where P.C. comes into play.
Every body knows that most white Americans only value their own culture. You can't force them to be diverse and appreciative of other culture! Its only when some white person (like Elvis) appropriates/steals some Black culture that it becomes universally embraced by mainstream white America. I find it funny how all the Midwesterners at Pitchfork and Lollapalooza walk around in their tight jeans thinking they're all "alternative" and what not, when really they're not that much different then kids in Elgin and Iowa, shucks
I think you're halfway right, Captain Spook. A couple of other points if I may...
1. Hip-hop is in static form right now. Nobody knows what to do next. Many audiences are aloof about hip-hop these days.
2. Hip-hop live does often suck. There's not that much excitement without a live band creating the sounds right then-and-there (the Roots obviously excluded). The artist compensates for this by having 3 or 4 back-up guys who also prowl the stage repeatedly chanting "Yeah!" and "Pump it up!" and "[Artist] is in da house!" Boring.
3. Most indie rock is whiny. The Pitchfork types can't handle hip-hop's confident, in-your-face masculinity. Those emaciated alterna-dorks want to hear mumbled complaints about ex-girlfriends and shitty one-night stands.
3. Most indie rock is whiny. The Pitchfork types can't handle hip-hop's confident, in-your-face masculinity. Those emaciated alterna-dorks want to hear mumbled complaints about ex-girlfriends and shitty one-night stands.
I know! And I'm stuck for THREE WHOLE DAYS of Pitchfork! Damn indie-lovin' women! PLEASE tell me there will be somebody will balls on ONE of those days... Although I do like Yo La Tenga at times. Guess they got some of their attitude from playing with Sun Ra.
I would say that people of most cultures only value their own culture. For instance, I haven't seen a lot of African Americans opening themselves up to country music.
Touch my Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and you die...
I love how you guys identify the trip to Tinley Park as a "trek" like you're halfway to Alaska or something.
When you don't drive, being dropped off in the middle of nowhere after an hour Metra ride and piling in a shady sedan waiting at the station with 10 other confused people to get the venue, then begging a stranger for a ride back to the city after the show because the last train back left before the main acts took stage, I'd say, qualifies as a trek. ;)
They had shady sedans? No shuttles?
Tinley Park is a crappy place to see a show, there are 15 better and closer places if you live on the north side of the city. It's probably an hour each way, more if you hit traffic, and that sort of takes the fun out of seeing a show.
Also, I love reggae and world music, just never cared for rap or hip hop. I think a lot of people, no matter their skin color feel the same way. Noone should be wearing tight jeans at Pitchfork, a nice comfortable pair of shorts makes a lot more sense :)
theres no coincidence that there are fewer rappers performing at pitchfork or lollapalloza. there are barely any good rappers anymore nowadays.
I made the mistake of expecting a lot from Rock the Bells. But sad to say Rock the Bells wasn't a very accurate representation of the kind of hip hop that Live Nation and Guerilla Union make it out to be. How can you have a hip hop festival with out b-boys? Hip hop culture is in a very strange spot right now. And hopefully it will figure itself out. And it seems it has willing leaders to do so in KRS-ONE and K'NAAN. I just wished both would have had more stage time on Saturday. I wouldn't put my money or the future of hip hop in the hands of Nas.
As someone who went to Rock the Bells, I want to take issue with your last paragraph. Tinley Park is one of the worst, if not the worst, venues in the Chicago Metro area. The concession prices are the worst I've ever seen. $8-12 for a beer? But the real issue is pricing tiers and the seating. Hundreds of the pricier seats that are closer to the stage are always empty, because the prices are ridiculous. The crowd energy also always sucks, due to a tiny (but half empty, thanks to the pricing) pit section, and a massive set of mostly empty fixed seating. This is a horrible place to have a hip hop concert.
Rap artists feed off the crowd, feed off dancing, and feed off call and response. How is it good for half the fans to be hundreds of feet away in the grass section and the other half seated in the sparsely populated theater seats? You can barely see the stage from the grass, but $100+ for a pit ticket?
The reason why M.O.P. were so good was because they were not on the main stage.
I hate the main stage at Tinley, but if that's the only place I can see a hip-hop festival, I have to go there. Nevertheless, I wouldn't blame anyone else for not wanting to have to put up with it.