Eyedea & Abilities
Date: November 14, 2004 Such a Story To Tell Eyedea & Abilities brought their Leave of Absense tour to Ottawa, marking their second headlining stop in Canada's capital. As they had done six months earlier, the duo brought a talented supporting cast with them and delivered a tight set. Although E&A consistently displays undeniable skill and a willingness to innovate, I have to say that this concert was the best of the three that I have seen from the group. A dominant factor in this concert was a schedule that was incredibly late, even by hip hop standards. The long lead-in was covered with a competent DJ set that included the obligatory nod to the recently deceased Ol' Dirty Bastard. Eventually, the live portion of the night began, with local rappers Patience and Bender being supported by Calcutta. They came through with a solid energy level, clear vocals, and good pacing. Although there was much music to come, the remainder of the night maintained that pace. In fact, when Los Nativos took the stage after a pause of no more than a few minutes, they had a hard time drawing the scattered crowd back to the front of the floor. The subdued audience reaction was a shame, because the two-man crew worked well with a performance that seemed to build momentum as it progressed. Felipe Cuauhtli, who handled the bulk of the stage banter, noted the mixed vibe, remarking, "I know we're dope, so it ain't that"; and he went on to back up his swagger. The group's DJ failed to make the border crossing, leaving the two MCs to rely on programmed beats. While this limitation did make for a few awkward song transitions, hampering the set's flow, the spirited vocals kept the show on track. Some of the more interesting moments came towards the end of the group's time, including a pair of Spanish songs and a section with Cuauhtli offering percussion, standing behind a kick drum and snare. DJ Prizm refused to allow a tepid response for Illogic, instead confronting the audience into moving into action before the MC took the stage. Although I was already an Illogic fan, I had not yet tracked down his latest full-length CD or EP, so this set was a mix of the familiar and the new. As it turned out, I was as impressed by new numbers, such as "1,000 Whispers," "Lesson in Love," and "Off the Clock" as I was by older songs like "Stop Lyin'." In some respects, Illogic met my expectations, while other aspects of his show surprised me. His easy-going cool certainly matched the impression that I had of him; and this demanour served him well in an engaging performance. The catchy musicality of his set surpassed my predictions, though. On his older albums, Illogic came across as a poet foremost, with the song mechanics taking a back seat to his words. However, the live experience was full of hooks and bounce, a shift that I was later to discover captured on his newer Celestial Clockwork and Off the Clock releases. Having said that, one of the highlights of Illogic's show was definitely an a cappella political piece that was pure poetry. While Abilities prepared for his headlining slot, Skratch Bastid shared the stage with him for a notably brief but thoroughly captivating turntable showcase. With the clock reaching 1:30, Eyedea & Abilities finally began. I feared that the late start time would cut their set short; but my worries were to be erased. Despite primarily confining their song selection to their latest album, E&A, the duo nonetheless kept the music rolling for a long concert. Those new songs once again hit hard, with the tight bounce of numbers like "One Twenty," "Kept," and "E&A Day" anchoring the affair. The rare dips into older material succeeded tremendously. "Even Shadows Have Shadows" was a welcome inclusion in the early portion of the set, while the poignancy of "Bottle Dreams" made for perhaps my most intense reaction at an Eyedea & Abilities concert, with Eyedea's delivery magnifying the sadness of the narrative. Part of the joy in witnessing an E&A concert is seeing Eyedea's impassioned lyrical channeling. Whether scrunching up his face and standing stock still or spasmodically jerking his body to match the frantic speed of "Now" or the rising tension of "Glass," Eyedea raps like a man possessed; and the group's live experience is all the better for his dynamism. Of course, Abilities is a force equal to his partner; and on this night, he may have even succeeded in stealing the show. While the two did not explicitly devote a block of the concert to a contest of matching freestyle lyrics and scratches, they did have several experimental exchanges. At one point, Eyedea relinquished the spotlight entirely to Abilities, who then dropped jaws with an extended solo segment in which he layered the sound of unwinding records into a series of noises that mimicked sci-fi sound effects. While the last E&A concert in Ottawa was marred by some overeager fans yelling over such interludes, the appreciative but respectful audience allowed the experimental detours to rule the night. In fact, the greatest treat of the evening was a half-hour encore that was weighted in favour of the instrumentals. Initially, Skratch Bastid returned, leaving Abilities to match his impressive scratching. Judging by the huge smiles on each of their faces, the two DJs took as much enjoyment in trying to outdo each other as the awestruck fans did in simply witnessing the contest. Before long, Felipe Cuauhtli was back behind the pared-down drum kit, laying down beats against Abilities' turntable work. Eyedea and Illogic traded freestyles, with Felipe also taking some turns on the mic. All in all, it was a pure musical showcase. With the jam pushing the concert to within a few minutes of 3:00, the night was certainly an endurance challenge; but the fantastic musicianship was worth the investment. Each of the three Eyedea & Abilities concerts that I have taken in has offered a unique mix of song selection and improvised elements; and the duo always comes through with a strong effort. On this long night, though, I have to say that the band set a new standard, highlighted by a stellar encore. <--Prev (Beastie Boys) | Next (Hayden)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |