Rock the Bells Recap

As Philo so eloquently mentioned, we were in attendance at Rock the Bells in Anaheim yesterday to see A Tribe Called Quest, in one of their first performances in 6 years, and their only one on the West Coast since their recent reunion. No doubt about it, ATCQ was hot. I mean, you can't go wrong with a set list that includes "Can I Kick It?," "Electric Relaxation," "Check the Rhime," "Find a Way," "Bonita Applebum," "Scenario," and of course, my favorite Tribe song, "Award Tour." The group knew that it had been a really, really long time and they definitely played off that vibe in the crowd that was dying to hear Tip and Phife trade rhymes again, just like the good old days. Ah, the good old days... Hearing ATCQ again seriously reminded me how much I miss the atmosphere of hip hop in the late 80's and early 90's.

But some modern-day groups still kick it the right way. I'm talking about Jurassic 5 in particular. Damn, those boys put on a show. I can't even properly describe just how enthralled I was by their set. The emcees are simply amazing in their chemistry with one another, and the pure joy they display in playing with rhymes and having fun with hip hop is such a breath of fresh air compared to those gangsta-posturing "rappers" who pervade the airwaves. And the deejays, whoo, they were messing around like little kids whose parents were away for the weekend, pulling little gimmicks and stunts with their turntables and synthesizers at every step of the way. If you've ever heard a J5 song and thought they were pretty good, you owe it to yourself to see them in person. Trust me on this.

All of the other performers were pretty solid, if unspectacular on a few counts. I got to hear the Crown City Rockers for the first time, which was something I'd been anticipating ever since I first heard of the group as being a sort of "Roots-lite." Now that I've heard them, I totally agree with that label, which is certainly not a bad thing by any means. There are many worse labels or comparisons that could be made, after all.

I should mention Cypress Hill as well, whose music I only like marginally, and whose content and views I like even less. They put on an admittedly strong set with lots of raw energy for a very eager crowd, and I have to say that I was pleased and surprised by their showing for the night even if, again, I don't agree with everything they're rapping about.

Speaking of surprises, we got a few unbilled visitors, namely Mos Def (though I already received word that he was going to show) and the entire Alkaholiks crew guesting with Xzibit during his set. One strange note: the event emcee kept hyping Kanye West as a surprise guest later in the night, but he never showed up and no explanation was ever given. I have no idea what happened there, but I can't complain too much since he wasn't on the bill anyway. I thought one sweet, unplanned performance was going to happen when the Pharcyde was introduced onstage, but it turns out that they were just there to announce a reunion, not to actually perform any songs... Damn it.

You might remember that I was present at the previous Rock the Bells event in San Bernardino a few months back when the Wu-Tang Clan performed for the first time in 10 years as a whole group. (It was a performance that was immortalized in their live album release, Disciples of the 36 Chambers.) As it turns out, that performance was historic not only for the complete gathering of the group's members, but also for another reason which became known yesterday: Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard passed away, making that recent concert the last time we would ever see all Wu members onstage.

I'll admit that I always thought that ODB was better as the "loose cannon" member of Wu-Tang than as a solo artist, and that his past wild life makes his sudden death a little unsurprising. But that still doesn't keep my heart from sinking at this news. The truth is that ODB really seemed to have been improving his life in the past couple years; upon seeing him in San Bernardino, I remarked to myself, "Wow, he really looks clean and healthy!" So this news of his passing is disheartening to hear.

What was uplifting to hear, however, was the chorus of chants that spread through the thousands-strong crowd as everybody put up a "w" with their hands and shouted, "Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!" over and over in tribute to the man as the resident DJ spun his records. I thought it was especially nice to hear Q-Tip reminisce during ATCQ's set about how he used to battle-rap ODB when they were just little 15-year old kids hanging out in underground New York hip hop spots. Injecting a bit of nice childhood nostalgia into the somber mood really helped with ending the concert on a positive note. Rest in peace, Rusty.

The entire concert was a fun experience, although I could do without the blatant drug use that ran rampant across the grounds. By the time I got home I could still smell the marijuana on my clothes, even on my undershirt! That smoke was thick... They could use some more chairs, too. Only having standing room for 12 straight hours is not fun for my legs. But at least the venue was outdoors -- event organizers chose to use the Angel Stadium parking lot this time -- so there was no danger of passing out from heat exhaustion like last time. Security definitely seemed beefed up this time, too, so I appreciated that; I didn't see any fights break out at this event and I didn't come close to being stabbed like last time. (Oh yeah, in case you can't tell, I really hate the National Orange Pavilion in San Bernardino. Don't go there.)

Overall, I'd say that Philo and I got our hundred dollars' worth out of this concert event. I'll look forward to seeing the next all-star lineup at Rock the Bells.