Beastie Boys
Date: November 10, 2004 Shazam and Abracadabra Apparently, some cosmic alignment led to the fall of 2004 providing me with several opportunities to see some of my favourite bands live for the first time. This trend peaked when the Beastie Boys made their first visit to Ottawa, as their Pageant tour touched down at the Corel Centre. As expected, this concert was an excellent affair from the opening act to the closing encore. And what an opening act it was, as the night began with an exhibition from Bob Moore and his Amazing Mongrels. My curiosity over the stage decorations were answered when it was given over to a set of dogs crossing tightropes, diving from platforms, and performing other circus tricks. Like so many things Beastie, this choice of opener was surreal, bizarre, fun, and somehow right. The musical portion of the evening began with Talib Kweli. He came out very hard and raw in his delivery. I found that his aggressiveness made it harder to take in the nuances of unfamiliar songs; but at the same time, the forcefulness of his approach did set a strong, engaging tone. In fact, I would say that Kweli proved to be quite selfless, seeming to have more interest in getting the crowd fired up than in taking care to showcase his songs. He didn't mind sharing the stage with some rather impressive breakdancers that he pulled out of the crowd or letting his DJ take over. I was most taken by Kweli's freestyle segments, which raised the energy level. The main set was introduced by a video segment that showed Mix Master Mike working his way through the Corel Centre halls before he took his place atop a towering structure and laid down an inspired example of turntablism. Mike went on to anchor the concert, helping to cover the transitions when the Beasties were changing outfits or switching between mics and instruments. The transitions were necessary because the Beasties chose to showcase the wide range of their musical output. The trio came out in track suits, rapping their way through "Alright Hear This," "Root Down," and "Sure Shot," all taken from Ill Communication, before dropping the new single, "Triple Trouble," and then offering "Egg Man," a song that was reworked from the band's hardcore roots before seeing the light of day on Paul's Boutique. Apart from the initial rush of seeing the band come out of the gate with such a hard-hitting sequence, my other chief reaction was a sense of fun in seeing how the Beasties interact. After approximately two decades of making music, Adrock, MCA, and Mike D obviously love performing together, even taking joy in the occasional miscues that cropped up at various times. Whether the group was explaining to the crowd the workings of The Weave, one of their dance techniques, or nimbly trading verses, as on the classic "Pass the Mic," they were always projecting a sense of fun. "Super Disco Breakin'," "All Life Styles," and "Shake Your Rump" rounded out the blazing first act, as the Beasties exited the stage, leaving Mix Master Mike to take over again. As Mike concluded and made his departure, the Boys, now sporting powder blue tuxedos and wielding instruments, were wheeled back to centre stage on a wide apparatus shining with patio lights. With Money Mark and Alfredo Ortiz assisting, the group rolled through a mostly instrumental stretch of "Sabrosa," "Ricky's Theme," "Lighten Up," and "Something's Got to Give." This mellow segment succeeded very well, with the exception of the last song, which inexplicably involved Adrock's upright bass being amplified far out of proportion, leaving each note feeling like a punch in the throat. The concert returned to its original format, although with the band now attired in game-themed T-shirts. (Adrock earns top marks for his "Scrabble" top.) "An Open Letter to NYC," one of the new album's finest songs, was a highlight, and the crowd reaction to "Body Movin'" lived up to that track's name. Overall, I found that the audience warranted a mixed grade. On the positive side, the number of people who showed up in fantastic costumes to celebrate the tour's pageant theme was impressive and the overall vibe was joyous. However, the audience was not as wired as I would have expected, which probably contributed to my feeling that the Beasties' heavier songs didn't pop quite as much as I had been anticipating. "Paul Revere" typified the split, as the song came across well but failed to provoke the desired sing-along, at least from my location on the floor. The set built to a tremendous zenith, as its final sequence was "Right Right Now Now," "3 MCs and 1 DJ," "Brass Monkey," "Ch-Check It Out," and a personal favourite, "So What'cha Want." Although "So What'cha Want" was one of those special concert experiences that had me lost in the moment, the encores were certainly no let-down. "Intergalactic" saw the trio appear at the back of the arena, suprising many fans. Finally, the full band and Mix Master Mike returned front and centre to drop a blistering one-two punch of "Gratitude" and "Sabotage." Whew. Although the Beastie Boys are now counted among the elder statesmen of rap, their longevity only added to the concert experience. They band played with an excitement and enthusiasm surpassing the majority of their younger colleagues, while commanding a musical diversity that could only arise from such proven veterans. Beastie Boys setlist Main Set
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