Cadence Weapon
Date: October 10, 2008 The Youth Crew's Back After catching two impressive showings as an opening act, my first look at Cadence Weapon as a headliner was a treat. His energy level was as full as it was in those past concerts but he also took advantage of a longer stage time and better sound. Fittingly enough, his concert was also aided strongly by a dynamic opener, with Woodhands contributing as much as he had done on those past tours. The show's start time was pushed back an hour but there were still few enough people in Babylon that everyone was seated when Kissing With Pop Rocks took to the stage. The local electronic duo did what they could to draw people on the floor, though, celebrating Hallowe'en early by donning costumes and tossing out candy to the crowd. Depending on how charitable an observer wanted to be, the set could be described as something between amateurish and ramshackle. The songs took a back seat to the performance, with the singer at various times roaming the crowd and passing the mic to anyone in range, using his cord as a skipping rope, and throwing out an invitation for new band members to join the group. The fact that Digable Planets were playing a show next door and drawing much of the city's hip hip crowd meant that Babylon would never be overflowing with bodies on this night. Nonetheless, things filled in a bit more for Toronto's Woodhands, who absolutely killed. I was initially captivated by drummer Paul Banwatt, who set a blistering tempo, playing with style and force, while some programmed beats rounded out the sound. Banwatt's energy was fully reflected in Dan Werb, who worked the keytar while twisting and screaming his way through a full-on attack of a performance. The pair's passion and fierceness made their set a constant high; and it was fitting that Cadence Weapon and DJ Co-op joined them on stage as they reached their triumphant conclusion. After a short break, Cadence and Co-op returned to deliver a set that ensured that they didn't have the show stolen from under them. Cadence acknowledged the concert playing next door a few times over the night, thanking those who chose to come to Babylon. However, such words were unnecessary, as his appreciation for the fans was always apparent in his spirited performance. Cadence has an impressive ability to deliver his densely-worded raps with clarity, even while sweating his way through a physical stage show that could be packaged as a workout video. Whether hopping about the stage or heading to the floor and working his way through the audience mid-song, Cadence always set the example for the crowd to follow. And follow they did. If anything, the fan enthusiasm sometimes would have been better tempered with some awareness, as when pushing and shoving propelled one girl onto the stage or when another girl repeatedly requested "Juliann Wilding," even after being told that it would be coming much later. Song requests, whether politely or insistently made, were not really needed, as a long set time saw Cadence Weapon offer a broad look at his two albums. "In Search of the Youth Crew," "House Music," "Real Estate," "Getting Dumb," "Sharks," and "Oliver Square" were among the notable offerings over the night. After nearly ninety minutes of dominating with only a DJ behind him, Cadence brought back Woodhands to cap a three-song encore with an aggressive cover of "I Need Somebody" by Iggy and the Stooges. After two experiences seeing Cadence Weapon tear it up as a warm-up act, it was great to see him step up to the spotlight of a headliner. The longer set time did not seem to affect his pacing, as he was a powerhouse of physical activity and vocal prowess throughout the night. With Woodhands moving in to Cadence's former role of dazzling opener, this was a fantastic night of music. <--Prev (Wintersleep) | Next (Alice Cooper)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |