Three-quarters of the slaughter took the S.O.B.’s stage on the anniversary of iconic Brooklyn emcee Notorious BIG’s passing. Royce Da 5’9”, Crooked I and Joe Budden appeased a packed crowd of avid, rowdy fans, many of which were donned in the ever-popular Slaughterhouse t-shirts designed by Sneaktip Clothing. West coast veteran Crooked I was the first Slaughterhouse emcee to take the stage, along with members of the California collective, Horse Shoe Gang. During his set, the Long Beach native performed, while blindfolded, “Tequila, Vodka, Henny” an ode to alcohol over the Lloyd Banks and Juelz Santana instrumental, “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley.”

After the emcee took three shots, Dice of the Horse Shoe Gang turned him around so his back faced the crowd and he rapped facing a wall. Headlining the show was Detroit rhyme-slinger Royce Da 5’9”. The emcee took the stage to the opening track to his latest album Street Hop, “Gun Harmonizing.” The crowd’s greatest reaction cane when Nickel-Nine performed his classics produced by DJ Premier, “Boom” and “Hip Hop.” Before exiting the stage, Royce asked for the crowd to put their hands up and pray for the recently hospitalized Gang Starr member, Guru.

Midway through Royce’s performance, Crooked I took the stage once again to join Royce, along with New Jersey emcee Joe

Budden. Although one member of the Slaughterhouse collective, Joell Ortiz, was noticeably missing, it did not stop the three emcees from performing songs from the groups’ critically acclaimed album. Royce’s Slaughterhouse brethren were not the only guests for his set as legendary Queens, NY emcee Pharoahe Monch took the stage as well. The four performed “Salute Me,” followed by the former Organized Konfusion front-man giving a spirited performance of his solo smash, “Simon Says.”

The Slaughterhouse emcees were not the only performers for the event. Donny Goines took the S.O.B.’s stage, fresh off the release of his collaborative EP with street-wear clothing company Rocksmith Tokyo entitled 20X. The New York emcee performed songs from his latest free-for-download release, including the M-Phazes produced “No Apologies.”

New York transplant by way of Boston, J The S, took to the S.O.B.’s stage and performed tracks off his latest free-download album, Wish You Were Here. The emcee was the only performer to have live instrumentation accompaniment for the night by way of guitar from Franco, who also appears on the album. J The S also conversed with the crowd all night, handing out free physical copies of his album on the eve of its release.

Aside from the Slaughterhouse emcees, Rochester, NY native Emilio Rojas was a crowd favorite for the night. The emcee performed a multi-flowed a cappella freestyle that immediately grabbed the attention of the crowd. Later in his performance, Asher Roth woke up from the bread isle to join the emcee to perform the remix to “Bold & Arrogant.” All the emcees that took th

e storied S.O.B.’s stage on the anniversary of New York’s beloved Notorious BIG’s passing proved that although hip hop lost one of its finest emcees, there are lyricists still that have the ability to carry on tradition of raw, unadulterated lyricism.

Photography and words by Peter Verry

What do you get when you cross a virtuoso banjo player, one of the world’s foremost thumb-drummers, and the greatest n’goni band in West Africa?You get Bela Fleck’s newest Grammy Award-winning international collaboration.  

Their tour took them through Frederick, Maryland last Friday night, to the Weinberg Center for the Arts.  This artsy town in the foothills of the Appalachians was a perfect backdrop for the eclectic, mind-expanding, cross-breed of funky Afrolicious rock-grass that won Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys this year for Throw Down Your Heart (not to mention the Best Pop Instrumental Performance.)

Bela introduced the first musicians: kalimba (also known as “thumb drum” or “thumb piano”) player, Anania Ngoliga, with acoustic guitar player, John Kitime, from Tanzania.  This duo played spiritual music, thumbs twanging, back and forth, like a rain storm ebbs and flows.  They added humor as well, referring to the fact that Anania is blind (Bela was even spurred to comment that he had won “Best Sunglasses in an International Collaboration.”)

After Bela joined them for a song or two, he introduced the next band, N’Goni Ba (“The Big N’Goni.”)  Hailing from Mali, this was an intense band, and included multiple n’gonis (they call them “African banjos”), talking drum, shakere, and, most interestingly, a calabash (a large gourd-like percussion instrument).  The leader, Bassekou Kouyate, has won numerous world-wide awards, has played with the likes of Carlos Santana and U2, and is considered the world’s best n’goni player.  His wife sings lead in this group: Ami Sacko (she’s called the “Tina Turner of Mali.”)  Their music was mostly upbeat and celebratory and their performance was colorful and energetic.  They could definitely hold their own with Bela.   

The second set kicked off with a couple of solo songs from Bela himself.  First he played a song called “Katmandu,” which required him to use his tuning knobs to change notes!  This type of thing is usually seen with Cajun guitar playing, but Bela was a master.  Soon, Bela brought Anania and John back to play and added fiddler, Scott Andreson.  They played a couple songs and then Bela announced that they would play some bluegrass.  Anania was confused, he thought, “Grass is green,” but Bela corrected him that, “This kind is legal.”  It was very difficult not to stand up and dance for this song (some people went to the back to do so).  Next, Bassekou and Ami came back out and enthralled the audience with a version of an old song that Bassekou’s great, great, great, great grandfather first played for the king in the 17th century.  This song made everyone feel like they were somewhere out in West Africa at a spiritual ceremony.  Ami’s voice brought chills through our bodies.  

For the final 3 songs, Bela brought everybody out on stage.  The sounds of the n’gonis, at times mimicking the electric guitar and other times sounding like some ancient forgotten instrument, mixed with the bass of the calabash, the twang of the banjo, and the liquid sound of the kalimba.  This multi-layered sound brought the listener from the Niger River in Mali, over Mt. Kilimanjaro in
Tanzania, past the concert halls of 18th century Europe, and all the way to the West Virginia hills.  Many seats were empty for the encore.  Why?  Because few people were able to remain seated while these musical tour guides brought the journey to an end.  

Make sure to check out Throw Down Your Heart Vol. 2: Unreleased Tracks, which came out in early February (these are many more songs that didn’t make it onto the original release).  In addition, see Bela’s documentary on his trip through Africa: Throw Down Your Heart.  This collaboration continues to tour throughout the United States until March 12 and then they’ll be in Australia in April.

Words and photos by Craig Duff

Matthew Bellamy had an identity crisis Friday. He came in looking like a model; his striking blue eyes and perfectly messed dark hair alone deserve his NME Sexiest Male Award. With his oversized sunglasses and sparkling pant-jacket combo he might as well been walking onto the catwalk. But then he started playing, and instead of friendly alt. rock he’s doing spinning jumps and riffing so hard his guitar might have needed counseling afterward.

Not only does Muse have the ambitions of progressive rockers like Radiohead but a technical prowess not usually seen near the mainstream. Their stage show setup was just as unencumbered. The band started performing on elevated pillars that descended down to the stage when appropriate. On the sides of each pillar displayed odd videos like blinking eyes or falling bodies because apparently lasers shining off just weren’t enough. But it’s Madison Square Garden, Muse should take full advantage.

Openers Silversun Pickups on the other hand are still a few minor tweaks away from deserving such a venue. All they have to do is stop the vocals, remember the Smashing Pumpkins haven’t been worth copying since ’98 and tell drummer Christopher Guanlao, unlike Bellamy, the quality of his bed head is not proportional to the quality of his playing.

Even as a three-piece, Muse filled the stage. Their impenetrably sturdy rhythm section boosted the Queen-like anthems of their latest record, The Resistance, with a feeling appropriate for such a large crowd. Bellamy’s high falsetto easily reached the back rows as he said, “We will be victorious” on “Uprising” as if he was leading a charge.

As fun playing anthems are, they did get monotonous till Muse diversified their selection up in the later half. It wasn’t genre jumping, more like leaning: play a little pop with “Time is Running Out,” a touch of jazz with “Feeling Good,” and there are those heavier songs. 

By the show’s end, Bellamy was done acting the emotional artist. Starting the electric riff to “Plug In Baby,” he went into a running slide on his knees showing reckless abandon toward scuffing those nice pants of his. He went shooting through the metallic snaps of “Stockholm Syndrome” and ended it by kicking over his equipment with glee one can only imagine. 

He couldn’t even stop when he was supposed to get softer again, throwing small guitar flourishes and distorted squeals because it was just too fun not to. This is not a level of raw virtuosity you’ll see with Thom Yorke. This is not a level of virtuosity you’ll see in anyone close to mainstream. So maybe it’s not an identity crisis. Maybe it’s just more than expected.

Words and photos by Michael Ronan

What happens when you mix gypsy punk, war paint and a taste for absurdity? A Man Man concert, that’s what.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck co-headlining inevitably raises the question who is a better guitarist. There are too many similarities not to: both are English blues-rock musicians, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and former Yardbirds.

But on stage, the contrasts are just as striking. At 65, Beck still has all the swagger and appearance of a rock star; dressed in sunglasses, sleeveless shirt and silver bands wrapping his wrist and arm. Luckily his fingers are as nimble as they were in 1968 too.

Unlike most lead guitarists, Beck talent is in his strumming, not fretwork. He plucked in small, precise motions then used the whammy bar to dance around the note without actually landing on it. Occasionally he threw in some finger tapping for added flash. Beck knows he's a great guitarist. Right on the very first song he let a string ring open and raised his arms above his head like declaring a victory.

But his isn't a case of bloated ego; case and point the respect he shows his band. Bassist Rhonda Smith and drummer Narada Michael Walden are great musicians in their own right and helped make Beck's set into an extended, instrumental jam. Besides his band, Beck joined a small string ensemble for opera interludes with selections like Puccini's "Neussun dorma."

After Beck left, Clapton rebutted with a set of his own. Clapton doesn't follow Beck's rock god aesthetic. He wore a blazer, glasses that stressed practicality and jeans that would make Obama proud. Instead of an orchestra, Clapton came with two back-up singers and two keyboardists. Instead of a swagger, he started the show sitting down, singing along with his acoustic guitar.

Also unlike Beck, its Clapton's left hand that defines his style. Working in more strictly blues form, he switched off between full chords and individual pick offs. His guitar sounds crisp, less distorted and jazzy than Beck's. But like Beck, Clapton doesn't let his fret work completely overshadow his band, giving both his keyboardists the opportunity to shine.

Then again, he would rather anyone solo than finish the go back to the verse. The audience was far more enthused hearing "Cocaine" and "I got a Rock & Roll Heart," than Clapton looked wadding through the same A-A-B template. That's what makes his best songs the ones he didn't write: "I Shot the Sheriff," "Crossroads" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down an Out."

For the climax, Beck joined Clapton in part collaboration part competition. Standing opposite each other provided an aural venn diagram as they traded solos during bridges that went longer than the actual song. The contest/concert lasted over three hours - good for the fans that paid an overly steep $100 to sit in the back. Once it ended, Beck and Clapton made sure to bow to each other before leaving. They don't know who won either.

 -Photos and words by Michael Ronan