BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - November 2016

LIVE
Danny Brown, Zeloopers
Vogue Theatre
October 6, 2016
Detroit rapper Danny Brown is an
enigma. After the huge success of his
albums XXX (2011) and Old (2013), he
opted to wait three full years before
releasing his latest album Atrocity
Exhibition. Instead of capitalizing on
the hype and rushing something out,
Brown opted to take his time to create
an album he could be truly proud of. The
album is his weirdest and least hyped-up
album so far. Although Brown’s show
at the Vogue was not sold out, it didn’t
diminish the crowd energy one bit, as
people looked ready to party the second
they walked in the door.
Filling up around 10:15, Brown’s
advertised start time, the makeup of
the crowd really began to reveal itself.
On the floor was all the kids (literally,
kids – I would venture a guess to say
at least half the floor was 18 or under)
with drinks, joints, or pills in hand.
On the balcony was all the adults who
enjoyed Brown’s recorded material,
but didn’t want to get swept up into
the action on the floor with all the
kids. Introducing his set with a bizarre,
ugly, and stylistically appropriate
remix of Joy Division track “Atrocity
Exhibition,” which his new album is
named after, Danny Brown took to the
stage and opened with XXX cut “Die
Like a Rockstar.” The crowd went off
like a bomb and didn’t stop until Brown
walked off stage.
Decked out in skinny black jeans, a
black leather vest, and a Hanson t-shirt
(yes, Hanson of “Mmm Bop” fame),
Brown’s energy was infectious. Going
through his set in chronological order
– beginning with XXX, moving on to
the Old in the middle, and ending with
Atrocity Exhibition material, Brown
proved himself to be a formidable
rapper. Most impressive was his
decision to use minimal backing tracks.
Most rappers now focus on high-energy
live shows and rely on backing tracks to
fill in the gaps when they need to catch
a breath. Not Brown though. Only
employing backing tracks for choruses
and hooks, Brown put his rapping
chops on full display, which showcased
his unique flow and clever wordplay.
After performing for exactly one
hour, Danny Brown excitedly went to
front of the stage after a firing on all
cylinders performance of “Pneumonia,”
and yelled, “That’s it! Good night!” and
left the stage. The audience was left
confused by his abrupt departure and
wanted more. Alas, despite around
five minutes of intense cheering, there
was no sign of Brown coming back. It
was a shame the set ended so quickly –
though, to his credit, Brown fit 20 songs
into his one-hour set. I would have also
liked to hear more Atrocity Exhibition
tracks. That being said, Brown still
proved he really is one of the best, most
creative, and exhilarating rappers there
is in the world right now.
PHOTO BY DARROLE PALMER
PHOTO BY GALEN ROBINSON
James Blake
Orpheum Theatre
October 13, 2016
You probably wouldn’t expect a
James Blake performance to test the
structural integrity of the Orpheum
Theatre; the 28-year-old English
musician is better known for his talent
of rattling emotional foundations with
his brand of soulful electronic music
than architectural ones. But although
it was a terrifically stormy Thursday
night, the historic venue was rumbling
with bass thunderous enough to rival
the awesome weather outside.
Aside from the incredible lightshow
- most memorably the flickering
aquatic-like downward projections
during “Limit to Your Love” - Blake
held the audience captive from his
position hunched over his synths and
the majority of the audience remained
respectfully seated throughout the
nearly 20-song set.
The packed theatre seemed content to
acquiesce to their solemn surroundings
and sway enraptured in their seats.
Probably the track most conducive
to raver gyrations was an homage to
the pre-EDM dubstep genre courtesy
of an old remix from U.K. producer
Untold. Suddenly the decorous
former vaudeville movie house was
transformed to a British club that one
could imagine as the ominous setting
for a new James Bond film or the like.
Blake’s third album, The Colour in
Anything, released earlier this year on
Polydor Records, was a conscientiously
more collaborative effort. However,
apart from a brief vocal contribution
from opener Moses Sumney, Blake’s only
assistance was from his two supporting
musicians (and childhood friends) on
guitar, synths and percussion, each
sharing equal stage space on three
elevated platforms, and the artistic
video projections behind the stage.
The musical additions were hardly
missed and some of the most heartwrenching
tracks occurred during a solo
encore comprised of “Wilhelm Scream”
(a song adapted from a track by Blake’s
father), a cover of the Joni Mitchell song
“A Case of You” and the complexly
looped 2011 track “Measurements.” The
latter faded with the lights, allowing
Blake to make a ghostly exit and cede
the theatrics once again to the storm
battering the city outside.
November 2016 REVIEWS
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