THE ROOTS - RUMSEY PLAYFIELD - 6/8/00

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we got to the show five minutes into arto lindsay's set, who was one of two opening acts for the evening. before i get into the music, let me describe the scene. rumsey playfield is in central park, so we were afforded a nice view of the skyline and with all of the, ahem, smoke, it was nice to have some fresh air. i felt like i was in someone's backyard: it wasn't a very big area, we sat on the ground which was covered with turf, and there was smoke flying around from the barbecues on either side of the area.

i couldn't have imagined a more diverse audience. you had your traditional hip-hop kids; walking gap ads; people who looked like yo la tengo fans; and kids who look like they stepped right out of an offspring video. hell, during the roots set, an old man with gray hair walked right in front of me! one thing was proven for certain last night: the roots are the hip-hop group that's safe for indie rockers. they're critically acclaimed and they play their own instruments, what more could they ask for. oh, the band also appears to be phish-approved.

on to the music. arto lindsay's set was very good. i don't know how many really appreciated his off-kilter samba mixed with atonal chords and feedback. it didn't seem that too many of the heads were feeling him. his drummer, in particular, was very good and there was a great mix of dat and live drums. lindsay coaxed some loud squawks, deafening noise, and even some scratching from his guitar in a deft display of skill and taste. he played for about forty minutes and afterwards, unbeknownst to me, he ended up sitting behind us during the roots set.

the wild magnolias were next on the bill. they're a new orleans funk band that i was heretofore unaware of. when they got on, i feared that they would be a derivative jam band, but as the first song progressed, they displayed a way with the groove. the keyboardist was excellent and he really helped to elevate them to the next level. then, out came the singers in the most garish costumes you'll ever see: just looking at them was entertaining. the group succeeded in getting everyone amped for the roots, even if they did run a little long.

one of the most entertaining aspects of the evening was the group sitting in front of us. there were twelve or so of these kids, and they were like kids, only a lot dorkier. they couldn't have been more than sixteen as the "so you want to go college?"-type workbooks they had with them would attest. yet this did not stop them from getting beer, cigarettes, and pot. note: kids, if you want to try pot for the first time, don't do it in a large public venue. it'll only make you look younger and stupider than you are. the twelve of them took hits from one joint...all of them choked and all of them would become stoned. ONE joint for TWELVE people. one of the little idiots took a cassette of his and pulled out the tape, wrapping it around his head. his little genius friend just kept frantically pulling the tape out of his, forming a ball of tape in his hand. thankfully, when the roots appeared, they took off for the front.

and what an appearance it was by the roots! in dramatic-comedic fashion, they took to the stage in slow-mo with mellow keys and purple lights illuminating the stage. ?uestlove raised his arms and then lowered the boom. they came out of the gate ferocious and kept up the pace 'til show's end. i was worried that ? wouldn't be at the show because he just got off the d'angelo tour, but he was there and the band was tight.

now, i know that tom isn't much of a fan of "organic" hip-hop, but last night proved to me its dominance in a live setting. when a group only uses a dat, they've got two things going for them: adrenalin and, hopefully, some good songs. a band has both of these, plus they have the ability to improvise, re-work cuts, make smooth transitions from cut-to-cut, and add a lot of dynamics into the mix. the roots did all of these things last night. they whirled through all of their best known songs, not relenting for a second. highlights were many, including "distortion to static," "proceed," "double trouble" with mos def, "adrenalin" with some great crowd interaction, "clones" with dice raw," and on and on. there were a number of surprises: after "double trouble," talib kweli came on stage and the duo ripped through definition, and then ant-1 of dead prez appeared and the group broke into "hip hop" whose dull chorus on record came alive when chanted by the crowd. (he also threw in a few "fuck the police"s and "power to the people"s for good measure.) the biggest surprise for me, though, was the amazing skill of human beatbox, scratch. on record, he's very good; last night, he made me say, "rahzel who?" his talents livened up a number of songs, and his solo spot at the end had to be seen to be believed.

the set closed with, not surprisingly, "you got me." surprisingly, though, it was totally re-worked, more than compensating for the lack of a singer. the first chorus was handled in a reggae styleee; the second saw the band thrashing out in impressive fashion; and the end drum 'n' bass break was taken to another level. the combination of ?uestlove's drumming (and let me tell you, i'm even more disappointed with voodoo seeing just how much his talent was constrained on that record), hub's bass work, kamal's keys, and the flashing lights made for a mind-altering experience.

the roots have earned a reputation for being one of the best live acts out there today. last night, they showed and proved over and over. i paid $20 bucks for my ticket, and got nearly four hours of great music, all told. the opening acts were good, but the roots could teach many a band some things about showmanship and professionalism. if they come to your town, see them. don't think twice.