Electric, Ecstatic
by BHold on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5From start to finish, this was one of the best shows I have ever seen, and definitely the most action-packed. Black Landlord, a local band who opened the show, hit the stage hard with a unique blend of rock, funk, and hip hop, grabbing the crowd's attention with some humorous lyrics and dynamic stage presence. A cloud of mixed reactions arose when the front man took his shirt off and flaunted his plus-sized mid-section.
DCQ came up next and, as the crowd gradually grew in size, he impressed many with his mix of spoken word and rapping. In the midst of his humble, conscious preaching, not once did I hear him mention that Mos Def is his brother. I really wish those two had done at least one song together; but regardless, his half-hour set was the right way to start up an unforgettable night of Brooklyn hip hop.
Well, I should say Brooklyn with a splash of New Orleans hip hop. I had never heard of Jay Electronica, but I'll be keeping an eye out for this guy again in the future. His comedic interludes rounded out his set and made for yet another highly entertaining half-hour.
Then, after a long break, one of my favorite rappers finally took the stage. Talib Kweli came out swinging hard, bringing out everything from Reflection Eternal hits to Ear Drum favorites. By the time his set ended, I felt like I had gotten more than my money's worth. But we still had Headliner Smith to wait for....
And did we! According to my one friend, it was a whole hour between the end of Kweli's set and the time Mos Def set foot on the stage. The "Fear Not of Man" intro must have played for over ten minutes before he came out. But when he did, he made it well worth the wait. This was the first time I have seen Mos, another of my favorite rappers, perform live. I have to say that, having seen a lot of concerts, Mos Def is one of the greatest performers of all time. He killed everything with his energy, from banging on the drums to belting out a slowed-down "Billie Jean" - and let's not forget his message in defense of Kanye: he admitted the time and place was inappropriate, but seconded the sentiment that racism still permeates popular music.
The man of the hour kept us there until after two in the morning, but I didn't mind. The set breaks could have been much, much shorter, but each set was fresh, upbeat, and engaging. I can't wait to see what Mos brings to town next time.