One of my favorite bands of all time. In Portland. Outside, on the water. Warm, summer night. Hell yes, I was there.
I’m still buzzing after watching this version of the Legendary Roots Crew tear up the stage for 2+ hours straight on this past weekend. Man, oh man, do The Roots put on a great show. I mean…a truly great show. And, they’ve been doing it with sustained energy, excellence, and exceptional musicality for 20+ years, night…after night…..after night.
Every time I’ve seen The Roots live, they kill it. But, they seemed especially tight this time. It was a party from the jump, with the band moving seamlessly between their material (Proceed; Clones; Concerto of the Desperado; The Next Movement, The Seed (2.0)) and covers of classic soul, R&B, and rock standards. They were totally in sync as a unit and gave space for some mind-blowing solos — especially their guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas who just lit it up.
Other highlights:
*Black Thought performing in green Adidas track pants and fancy house slippers. When you can wear what you want and still be a boss….
*Hanging out at a local bar afterward where the band was eating dinner and thanking/fist bumping Black Thought and Kirk Douglas on their way out the door.
My favorite memory from the show? The instinctive joy and flood of energy and memories that hit me — and most of the crowd — with the opening chords of You Got Me. What a show.
In My Ear 