Mercoledì 9 Set 2009, 3:17
I had high expectations for Bumbershoot, with the vast array of talent and all of the positive things I've heard from friends, and I'll be the first to tell you that if you're going to go to one music festival in any given year, Bumbershoot should be that festival.
First of all, the organization was on point! The press lobby was great, stocked with food and drinks, wi-fi, comfy couches and best of all, because the lobby was indoors, NO portable toilets! Actually, I don't think I saw a single "porta-potty" at the festival, but I'll stop there.
But back to the festival. I missed Katy Perry because she was the only artists from the main stage not to allow pictures. But did I really miss out? I think not. Instead, I went to support Stones Throw's latest artist Mayer Hawthorne, a throwback to 60's soul and he absolutely set it off. Not only was the crowd feelin' the tracks he performed off his album, but Mayer and his band, The County, absolutely nailed down a few covers, including Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky" and The Isley Brothers' "Work To Do." Very impressive indeed. His album just dropped this week and it's a great listen from beginning to end, so once you're finished reading this, please support the brotha and cop that.
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LA-based U-N-I followed up with a very impressive performance as well, tons of energy, dope beats and rhymes, similar to a Slum Village/Pharcyde vibe, and entertained the crowd with a lil' Michael Jackson tribute to Billie Jean, as well as standouts like "Fat Girl" and "K.R.E.A.M." This group is definitely on my list of artists to look out for in the near future.
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Time to switch gears and check out some comedy. One of my favorite comedians, Nick Swardson, was originally scheduled to perform, but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts with a new movie he's currently shooting. Props to the Bumbershoot folks, who did not play with a second-hand replacement. Instead, Aziz Ansarifrom Human Giant fame filled Swardson's shoes and killed it! I left the amphitheater still crackin' up over dude's jokes, specifically the Craigslist bit. HILARIOUS! I'd get more detailed, but most of it is not kid-friendly so you'll just have to google him for more.
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Caught the very last song of Os Mutantes' set. Very interesting, I just wish I could have caught more.
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The headliner for the first night was my favorite hip-hop group of all-time, De La Soul. Think of how many artists from 1989 are still on top of their game like De La is and you'll struggle to compile a list. Anyway, with this year being the 20-year anniversary of their seminal 3 Feet High and Rising album, they've been touring with the incredible Rhythm Roots All-Stars as their backing band, and out of the countless number of times I've seen them, this anniversary show could be the dopest De La show I've ever seen. Classic after classic, the band nailed down the instrumentals while members Posdnuos, Trugoy and DJ Maseo traded wordplay, roaming the stage and laughing like it was their first time on stage together. Artists today could definitely learn a lot from De La, and it's refreshing to see a group 20 years in the game still have the amount of energy and chemistry like De La does.
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Yeah, they're tired of playing the one song everyone knows from them, "Me, Myself and I," and they even mock it, switching up a few lines like: "Can it be my De La clothes or is it just because we hate this song?" Classic.
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Some of the other tracks that stood out include: "Much More, "Pass the Plugs" with the band playing "Pass the Peas" and "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)
" with the band flawlessly switching up the track during the second verse to George Benson's "Give Me The Night." WOW!
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It truly was a great way to cap off the first day of festivities! Stay tuned for more reviews and wrap-ups from Bumbershoot.