Friday, August 20, 2010

Review: Cypress Hill & Slightly Stoopid at Crossroads


















My friend Chris' same-show video footage.

I've never watched Jersey Shore- a trait that surely disqualifies me from participating in the national dialogue- but I'm pretty sure that the freak show that accompanied last week's concert by Cypress Hill and Slightly Stoopid qualified as its Kansas City equivalent. I don't recall ever seeing so many bros at a concert. The audience of 2,500 made Tech N9ne's fans look like intellectuals.

"We have a smoke-filled house," Crossroads spokesman Stretch shouted as he looked at the sea of preppy stoners.

Cypress Hill were worth the trouble. A juvenile obsession with marijuana aside, they were excellent. Not only are they intact- B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs were in good form- their new single features Tom Morello. Their Latin-infused sound was greatly enhanced by the presence of percussionist Eric Correa, son of the great Willie Bobo. That's dope.

And as I wrote here, Slightly Stoopid are far better than any reasonable person might expect. Take away song titles like "I'm So Stoned" and sporadic thrash elements, and an undiscerning onlooker could easily mistake the instrumental segments for The Budos Band. Slightly Stoopid is... good. There- I said it. Even so, I didn't stick around for all of their headlining set. With "How I Could Just Kill a Man" still ringing in my ears, I had to get out of there before another brah stumbled into me.

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Jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln has died.

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Drummer Richie Hawward, a longtime member of Little Feat, has died.

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Steve Jordan, the "Jimi Hendrix of the accordion," has died.

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Jazz photographer Herman Leonard died August 14. He was 87.

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Richard Lopez of Cannibal & the Headhunters died July 30.

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Michael Been of The Call died Thursday.

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My friend BGO insists that Cee-Lo Green's new song is "the single of the year." Who am I to disagree?

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I caught Rufus Wainwright earlier this week. Here's my review.

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Brandi Carlile and Katie Herzig made for a terrific double bill last night. Here's my review.

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Hot Panda are Hot Hot Heat. The comparison is a compliment.

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I consider my friend Tom's fan video of Sarah Borges an homage to There Stands the Glass.

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Kansas City Click: Anders Osborne and John Mooney are on Friday's bill at Knuckleheads.

Kristie Stremel & the 159ers play The Record Bar on Saturday.

Lo-Key will be featured on the Power & Light stage Sunday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

9 comments:

bigsteveno said...

Is six the most death notices ever in a There Stands the Glass post?

Happy In Bag said...

They kind of stacked up on me while I dawdled, Steve.

bgo said...

I didn't know hip hop shows at the Crossroads drew such diversity. My, my. I wonder what kind of crowd would have showed up 28 years ago to hear 'The Message' with a live band in tow? Perhaps some real brothers??

Happy In Bag said...

If you're interested in the demographics of that night, BGO, here's my best guess:

70% white
20% Hispanic
5% black
5% other

Anonymous said...

pretty sure that was Garth Hudson in the Call video

bigsteveno said...

That is correct, Garth Hudson was a sort of a guest member of the band for several albums.

Anonymous said...

The author sounds like one of those douche bags who puts everybody into a group by what they wear like were in junior high again...

Happy In Bag said...

Yeah, I hate that guy too, Anon 1238.

Gda said...

Seriously who goes to a concert called the legalize it tour and is honest to god surprised and offended by people smoking weed and cypress hill's "Juvenile obsession" with weed. You must be some kind of idiot to not know what your buying a ticket for or just to go to "report" on your little blog about it.