Monday night was a fun filled evening thanks to KCRW and The House of Blues. Meshell Ndegeocello and The Coup gave great performances that kept the audience entertained until well past midnight.
The Coup
The evening opened with Boots Riley and The Coup, who delivered a high-energy performance. The group is known for effectively using the power of music as a vehicle for social justice and political activism. They delivered that entirely during their set. The Coups call-to-action lyrics by front man Boots Riley are timely and compelling, backed by solid, groovin contemporary hip-hop music. The band is tight, in-the-pocket and a hellava lot of fun to watch.
The Coup played a solid set, including the tracks “Gunsmoke, Everythang” and “50 Million Ways to Kill a CEO”. The heavy funk-based track Ride the Fence definitely got bodies in the crowd moving. The Coups lyrics address heavy issues. Their performance of “Gunsmoke” is characteristic of The Coups message:
>[the] whole system is stacked like a loaded bowel
>cause aint no billionaires on murder trial.
>Make the ghetto concentration camps every
>mile, so march your ass through the
>gas chambers single file, whos the biggest problem that
>they show on the TV?
>my people die of starvation and TB.
I recently read a review dismissing The Coups message as merely angry. In my opinion, that writer clearly missed the point. Despite the harsh reality exposed by the lyrics, this audience was quick to respond to the groove and be motivated by the social message. Looking at the crowd, I saw a multi-faceted audience of smiling faces and bodies dancing to Boots provocative lyrics and the bands great musical vamps. No one was angry, rather they were inspired.
While I love the Coups albums, especially Pick A Bigger Weapon and Party Music, it is their live show that really grabs me. Boots, and featured guest vocalist Silk-E, electrified the stage with their charismatic and lively stage presence. They are a great compliment to each other, and their combined energy makes for engaging show. Boots personal connection with his lyrics and his personal connection with his audience shines through. He means exactly what he says, and he is saying it loud and strong for all to hear. His physical movements are powerful and fluid. As for Silk-E, she is just awesome on stage! She commands well-deserved attention, and she is great juxtaposed against Boots. Her movements are a perfect combination of grace and power, and her voice is a force to be reckoned with. I was torn between watching Bootz and watching Silk-E, as each of them kept offering a new visual delights through movement.
Among contemporary performers that marry music with political activism, The Coup is one of my personal favorites. If you have not had the opportunity to see The Coup, I strongly recommend that you get out to a show.
Meshell Ndegeocello
Three words: Expect the unexpected.
Meshell Ndegeocello headlined the event, and definitely packed the house (or should I say, House.) While she is much more subdued than The Coup, the floor was packed with an enthusiastic audience that happily danced and swayed to the eclectic music she offered. Meshell primarily fronts the band with her soothing yet bluesy vocal style, backed by keys, bass, percussion and guitar. Opening with a great musical celebratory jam, Meshell added a new element by playing a second bass guitar, complimenting and expanding on Mike Kellys solid bass lines. Two bass guitars jamming together gave her music a new rhythmic depth.
I quickly got the sense that Meshells music is not intended for general public consumption. Rather, her music is clearly a personal message of her own struggles, hopes, desires and dreams. This is music written as she felt it, and her lyrics reflect her intent. Politics, social issues, personal demons, aspirations and failures are honestly revealed to her audience at large, yet, one gets the impression that Meshell is having a private one-on-one conversation with each person. She is subdued and demure in her demeanor, giving the sense that one is in the comfort of a friends home simply enjoying her gift of music
Meshells music does not neatly fit into any particular genre. Her willingness to ignore traditional time signatures and rhythms makes for an interesting aural experience. I think jazz lovers would be impressed with her songwriting and her ability to expand far from a songs typical structure into a world of music that ignores all the rules. There were unexpected transitions from upbeat funky riffs directly into trance-like keyboard heavy sections and then taking unexpected left turn into reggae, and transitioning yet again into ballad-like melodies. There were extenuated keyboard riffs that were clearly not bound by conventional blues scales, or even jazz modes, rather there were explorations of atonal discordant sounds that took the audience on new melodic journey. At first, the never ending transitions were something of a surprise to those unfamiliar with her music, and I found myself observing dancers trying to transition from reggae grooves to slow ballad sections, and frankly, not doing it very well. But by halfway through the show, everyone seemed to find their own groove. For this concert-goer, I was happy to sit back, relax, and enjoy the musical journey that is Meshell Ndegeocello.
