Show review: Odd Future at House of Blues – 3/21
I hadn’t exactly planned on seeing Odd Future last night, but when a friend called and asked if we should try to get in at the last minute, the answer was an immediate yes. We arrived at the House of Blues at least a half hour after the group was supposed to take the stage, but of course it would be another hour before the performance actually started. This was a hip hop show, after all.
Even from my less-than-ideal spot on the second balcony, it was immediately evident that this show would be just as chaotic as the massive Odd Future hype-machine had indicated. As the wait dragged on longer and longer past the supposed 8pm start time, the crowd chants shifted from the typical “WOLF/GANG” to a slightly more frustrated “THIS IS/BULLSHIT.” Hodgy eventually appeared to perform a makeshift DJ set, which immediately set off the crowd surfing that various HoB security guards would try in vain to stop for the remainder of the night. A few minutes later, Left Brain materialized to inform the crowd that Tyler was holding everything up, as he had yet to return from Target.
Eventually the rest of the crew (Tyler included) showed up and began running through a setlist spanning from their earliest web releases to the new OF Tape Volume 2. It was as manic and chaotic a performance as we’ve come to expect from the group. Various members were constantly running/jumping/diving across the stage and atop the monitor speakers while the general admission masses moshed, pogoed, crowd surfed and got harassed by security. I spent a good deal of the show wondering whether I was jealous of everyone in the pit or happy to be avoiding the threat of head-kicking and shoe/glasses/shirt loss.
Musically, the show was actually quite impressive. The group’s homemade, lo-fi beats sounded great blasting from the bass-y sound system at the House of Blues, and the rapping was surprisingly on-point. Even more expendable members like Domo Genesis and Mike G delivered solid, competent verses. As on the new record, it seems like the group is avoiding putting the spotlight on Tyler or any other particular member. The performance was a group effort, even on solo songs like ‘Yonkers.’ The on-stage camaraderie gave the whole night a surprisingly positive vibe.
That positive vibe was unfortunately cut short when the show was forcibly ended midway through probable set-closer ‘Radicals.’ Club owners killed the music and Tyler’s microphone as Boston cops gathered at the side of the stage. The mic was turned back on briefly to allow Tyler to explain the situation, which evidently involved non-musical crew member Lionel being arrested outside (or inside, depending on who you ask). I managed to record most of what Tyler had to say, and yes, that is the video featured on Pitchfork (!) and Rolling Stone (!!) this morning. Tyler and the rest of the crew seemed to handle the situation pretty graciously, but it was still an unexpected, weird end to the show. At least I’ve got a story to tell about this one.
A few other scattered observations, because there was plenty of weird and hilarious stuff happening at this show which warrants documentation:
-Even Jasper, arguably the group’s least important or talented member, managed to entertain with his drunken antics. At one point, he made his way up to the second story balcony and attempted to dive into the pit. The crowd and a few crew members managed to prevent him from breaking his neck.
-Number of times an OF member jumped into the crowd: 6
-Number of times that member was Jasper: 4
-Hodgy, to the crowd: “Where all the white people at?”
-Japser, to the crowd: “If you don’t buy a t-shirt, you a bitch.”
-Jasper, again: “I don’t rap. I’m lazy. I don’t do shit. But I got racks.”
-Items thrown onto the stage during the show: t-shirts, jerseys, hats, shoes, stickers, lighters, a bra
Also, here are the previously promised sub-par photos. Had no time to grab a real camera before I left last night.
