Sean Fennessey

RapidShare

Breaking it down, one single at a time.

Live: Lil Wayne Rocks Out, Jay-Z Brings Out Beyoncé For a Dance

Posted 10/29/2008 at 2:35 AM | 1 comment/s

Power 105.1's Powerhouse Concert
Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, D-Block
Izod Center
October 28, 2008

To look at Jay-Z and Lil Wayne's set lists from last night's performance in beautiful New Jersey's Izod Center wouldn't reveal much. Both artists--probably the most zeitgeist-y of the major rappers--showcased performances built mostly around recent releases (Weezy's Tha Carter III and Jay's American Gangster). But there was something strange in the sauce. Wayne, who went on first (I missed openers Ne-Yo and D-Block--whoops) opened with a live band intro that recalled Use Your Illusion-era Guns 'n' Roses, then "Mr. Carter," the triumphal collaboration with Jay-Z that ping-ponged around iTunes Top 100 sales chart despite being merely an album cut. Most of the fans at the show (many white, most under 25) knew all the words and Wayne, dressed simply in a blue vest, green flannel and white tee, seemed full of glee. A marked improvement from the last time I saw him. This time though, with Jay clearly backstage, the two did not form like Voltron. Wayne let Jay's verse play through, rapping along for a few bars and nodding through the rest behind Gucci shades. Why would Jay not join him in such a natural collaborative moment. Maybe the previous night's proceedings had something to do with that?

No matter. Wayne continued with a clear-eyed performance driven mostly by his five piece band, which had a stomping, rigid playing style. Guests Bobby Valentino and Baby showed up, to perform "Mrs. Officer" (make it stop) and "Pop Bottles" (more please), respectively. Some songs featured just backing tracks, like Carter II faves "Fireman" and "Money On My Mind." But on the grander Carter III-era songs (the bulk of the show) he played--"Misunderstood," "I'm Me," "Shoot Me Down" (which came with a Black Sabbath "Paranoid" intro)--the band made perfect sense. Carter III has a mish-mash feel, but it's rockier elements were pronounced last night. Even the psychically-charged set-closing version of "A Milli" felt closer to Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick" drum solo--heavy on the snare--than the rap oddity it really is. Wayne did his carry-the-guitar-and-not-play thing again, but this time it looked even worse, when an actual guitarist played actual guitar just five feet to his right.

One highlight: A straight blues outro on "Shoot Me Down" which featured Wayne singing, but not singing Pretty Ricky-style, as he does on "Lollipop." This was a guttural, guts-torn-up-and-out sort of singing, like Leadbelly mixed with Donny Hathaway on two packs of Newports and a blunt. It was really something, seemed earned and clearly confused people during what had been an otherwise lighthearted performance. For a moment, he had that rock star glow.

Jay-Z has had tangles with rock stardom, slinging an ax at this summer's Glastonbury Festival after Oasis' Noel Gallagher made some disparaging comments about the rapper headlining the rock-centric festival. So it was only fitting that he enter the stage to the strains of Codplay's "Viva La Vida," the du jour rock song every rapper loves. Then DJ Toomp's funereal "Say Hello To The Bad Guy" lifted and images of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs flashed across the impressive multiple videotron screens. At first I thought this meant the show might mimic this spring's Heart of the City tour and last year's VH1 Storytellers show. In some ways it did. But immediately after "Bad Guy" somebody pulled the pin on the Izod Center and dropped "U Don't Know," a song that in its seven years hasn't lost an inch of its muscle. As Just Blaze's masterpiece shook through the arena, a strange thing appeared on those same screens: Kurt Cobain, whipping his guitar overhead, then smashing it through his amp. Once again our two biggest rap stars were making explicit cultural reference to rock music. Jay too was playing with a live band, but his, the so-called Roc Boys, was a bit cleaner, in suits with a proper brass section. They seemed more funk than anything else, but the Cobain image was telling. You want the image of unbridled energy, show some fucking Nirvana to the white kids in New Jersey. They haven't forgotten that signifier. Jay's set was pro forma from there. A Reasonable Doubt gem here ("Can I Live"), a treacle two-step jam there ("Excuse Me Miss"), a full band celebration in the middle ("Izzo"). Notably, depending on who you are, Jay did the "Blue Magic/"fuck Bush"/"Minority Report" a capella/Obama endorsement thing again. It went over big. I'm not certain how many people at this concert were of voting age. Jay did say something clever/inspirational after the usual spiel.

"Rosa Parks sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so we could all fly. Let's get fly."

And off he went with "PSA," his best-known non-hit. The recent plane crash survivor DJ AM (is this how he'll be referred to for the rest of his days? Sad. For so long he was just Nicole Riche ex/celebrity DJ I'm not too concerned with) handled Jay's set and acquitted himself well, cuing up the hits nicely on his laptop. After a spirited version of "Jockin' Jay-Z" (do people like this? It sounded incredible) Jigga left the stage. He returned moments later to do a choppy, laptop-controlled medley, teasing the audience with the opening seconds of 12 different hits. Then "Bonnie and Clyde '03" for a moment. Then "Crazy In Love" for a moment. Then "fuck it." Beyoncé shimmied her way to the stage, two backup dancers in tow, as "Single Ladies" blared. B, in tight black leggings, did not sing. But she did dance. The dance. It was better than any singing could have been. Then, after 90 seconds, she strutted off, her dancers following like a pair of governesses. It was a rare moment of surprise (sorry Bleek!) in an otherwise straight forward night. After "Big Pimpin"" (clearly a response to wifey getting the night's loudest cheer) and "Hard Knock Life," Jay closed things with the standard "Encore." Remind me again, did Kurt Cobain ever have Courtney Love on stage to shill Hole's new single?

SET LIST:
LIL WAYNE
"Out Here Grindin'" intro
"Mr. Carter"
"Money On My Mind"
"Got Money" w/Mack Maine
"Fireman"
"Lollipop"
"Comfortable"
"Mrs. Officer" w/Bobby Valentino
"Misunderstood"
"Shoot Me Down"
"Pop Bottles w/Baby
"A Milli"

JAY-Z
"Say Hello To The Bad Guy"
"U Don't Know"
"Roc Boys"
"Pray"
"Lucifer"
"Can I Live"
"Blue Magic"
"Minority Report" (a capella)
"PSA"
"Swagga Like Us" (solo)
"Jigga My Nigga"
"Nigga What Nigga Who (Originator '99)"
"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
"Can I Get A..."
"I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)"
"Show Me What Ya Got"
"I Know"
"Excuse Me Miss"
"Song Cry"
"99 Problems"
"Do My" w/Memphis Bleek
"Dirt Off Your Shoulder"
"Put On (Remix)"
"Jockin' Jay-Z"
MEDLEY
"Single Ladies" > Beyoncé
"Big Pimpin'"
"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
"Encore"