The Situation was Under Control

There's nothing like the prospect of a smart hip-hop show to build up our anticipation on a Saturday night. One where we know that the act we're going to see can't fail to deliver, cranks that up a little higher than we can generally handle when we're forced to first stop by a friend's party before the show. To all those in Shoreline that we bored with excited chatter about Lyrics Born and Blackalicious at The Showbox, we're so sorry.

But if you had gone to that show, you'd understand why we were slightly off the wall and why even the Maker's Mark you kept pouring for us couldn't bring us back to Earth again.

A live performance by Lyrics Born is akin to that long beautiful train ride between Seattle and Vancouver, though not nearly as sedate. The wheels of the train glide smoothly along the tracks constantly humming just within the frequency we can hear as they pull us closer to the promised land of Canada. Meanwhile the incomparable vista of the Puget Sound backed by the Olympic Mountains rolls by the window and a book lies unread on the seat.

The metaphor is poured on a bit thick, but we’re still under rapture of the man's incessant hum of excellent, provocative lyrics. The harmony in his voice (we know, harmony is at least two voices. It's a part of his magic.) is the wheels of the train. It's full of rich tones and harmonizing undertones that are awash in a funk of words and rhythm which is the incomparable vista. All of it is truly an irresistible experience, even for a crowd at The Showbox, which too many times in the past ends up severely lacking in outward enthusiasm for what's going on on stage.

But Lyrics Born pushed all that aside and made it ok, necessary even, for us to jump on his train. Let's be clear though, it's not about his exaltations and commands for folks to put their hands up, give a shout or what have you. Sure, like most hip-hop acts, he does all that. But his smart lyrics and inescapable rhythms kept us all so enraptured that we meant the required responses and gave them unashamedly.

The counterpoint to Lyrics Born Saturday was Blackalicious or, more correctly, The Mighty Underdogs. It's important to note here that Seattlest is certainly not an expert on the hip-hop scene. Thus, we had no idea that The Mighty Underdogs listed in the show's ads are actually a side project of Blackalicious front man, Gift of Gab. It turned out not to be a pleasant surprise. We got only a few songs from Blackalicious before the back-up singers and DJ were switched out for a second MC and a drummer.

Suddenly we were faced with a much harder-edged group than we expected. Now we're all for trying new stuff out, but our ears were tuned for the kind of Bay Area funk we've had in our brains over the last few years, not something that seems to come from a more Southern California vibe. Honestly, after a few songs from The Mighty Underdogs, we had to leave.

Be that as it may, we don't know if it's the water in San Fran or what, but obviously the denizens of that town dating back to the beats and the hippies have a way with words and rhymes and funks and rhythms. We're really glad that it's only just down the road so the likes of Lyrics Born, Blackalicious and their Bay Area compatriots can come up here as often as they like.