The Roots at The Forum

The Roots at The Forum

09 December, 2008
by: Joshua28

It's The Roots, live at The Forum, and excuse me if I'm froth level excited. Ahem.

An hour and a half of nostalgia bangers from live hip hop at its finest - The Roots: One of hip hop's most consistently innovative outfits! Questlove: one of the greatest drummers alive! Black Thought: a totally Okay-ish rapper!  It couldn't be anymore on.

Ten minutes past nine, the opening salvo is a guy in a white T-shirt, draped in a tuba. He blows,  bringing excitement levels to bursting. There are not enough tubas in gigs: fact. Questlove, Black Thought and band take position. The crowd erupts. A thirty minute medley of earlier hits meshed with tracks off new album, 'Rising Down'. Audio Viagra. I've already given it a five out of five. Six. Seven. Ten.

Forty-five minutes in, and we're knee deep in a lull. It catches me like a cold- so totally unawares. The band's exceptional; catchy, competent riffs from Questlove and co, but I can't hear what Black Thought is saying. Tuba guy's playing the hype man, the band break it up with short and highly amusing dance moves, but I can't hear what Black Thought is saying. The guitarist/saxophonist sings the chorus bits effectively. But I can't hear a word Black Thought is saying.

There's no full breaks in between tracks, they segue from one song into the other, new composition into classic. Catchy hooks are few and far between and I can't hear what Black Thought is saying.  It's sounding like one big nasty endless improv and rant night. Live hip hop at its finest? Somehow I expected more.

Questlove and the percussionist indulge in a little one-on-one improv which, once you get past the fact you're staring at freakin' Questlove, man isn't very impressive, is a little self indulgent.

They attempt afro-beat. It falls on its arse faster than a constipated cow on an ice rink.

Finally the classics again. 'You Got Me,' and 'Seed 2.0.' The audience turn choir. I'm dancing again, just not as enthusiastic as before. Predictable Abrupt Finish That Clearly Suggests We Call For Encore. Audience Call For Encore... Roots Return; it's a predictability that neatly summaries the entire gig. Black Thought commences what must have been a seventy-five bar rhyme-fest, but I can't... oh bugger it. I give up.  Bassists takes center stage solo and for some reason I'm thinking of Guitar Hero. And then it's over. After-party is mentioned but I'm not hanging. The interlude DJ plays 'Birthday Girl,' one of the more commercial tracks off their last album on the decks, the kind of hook heavy, easy chorus-led track that would probably have gone down a treat live.

Probably. I label this gig a big 'Probably'.


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Joshua28