My ears are still buzzing. Seriously. I am sitting in silence right now and enjoying every minute of it because this weekend was so full of great live music I can’t handle any more at the moment.
It started on Thursday (8/12/10) when I got home from work. My buddies visiting from DC convinced me to go to a Lotus/STS9 show. And by convinced me I mean they bought my ticket and basically forced me to go. I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the time. The show was at the Roseland Ballroom. One word: Unbelievable. I loved every second of it. STS9 blew my mind. I pushed my way through the 5,000 rolling fans and made it up to the front and danced my ass off for the next few hours. Anyone who has been to an STS9 or Lotus show knows that the light show is almost as captivating as the music performance, and this show did not disappoint. There is something about the combination of heavy bass, live drums, crazy lights, drugs, and dancing that can really turn an ordinary night into a memorable musical experience.
Then there was the after-party…
After STS9 ended to a thoroughly satisfied crowd, we all headed downtown to Irving Plaza. People were still buzzin so hard from the show, no one was ready to call it a night. And that’s a good thing because Big Gigantic rocked everyone’s socks off (literally; one guy was dancing with no shoes on. I remember this vividly because I stepped on his toes at least twice). I went home that night a new fan of both STS9 and Big Gigantic, and I will see them again next chance I get hands down!
Friday night was a little more chill, although still some great live music. I went to the ‘Black August’ event at the Highline Ballroom. In addition to some so-so underground hip hop acts, there were some bigger names that rocked the stage. Cody Chestnutt reminded me of a young Marvin Gaye-James Brown hybrid – in a cape. His band was tight and he knew how to put on a good show. Bajah and the Dry-Eyed Crew were (as always) amazing in person. This is the second I’ve seen them live and I have to say: it’s impressive everytime. Dead Prez went on last and, although I didn’t have much left in me, I still enjoyed their set (the constant political rhetoric gets a little old after awhile though…).
The weekend concluded with a (relatively) big party at my house in Brooklyn. We had 4 bands perform along with a line-up of good DJs. Several of the bands impressed me, specifically Rocky Business. I actually DJ-ed for them since the whole band couldn’t make it. They were sick. Then there was Fuzzy G, who I also DJ for. The set wasn’t our best, but performing is always fun and this was no exception.
Overall, it was a great weekend for live music of all genres. I found new artists to love (STS9, Big Gigantic, Rocky Business), reinforced my love for some old artists (Cody Chestnutt, Dead Prez), and performed a little myself (Fuzzy G). Can’t wait to do it again next week!