08-28-2011, 01:43 PM
Wasn't going to go because of Yosemite, but we pulled out early on account of the fire, so I hit up RZA and he hooked me up with a free lawn seat. Which is ironic, of course, because I can slither into SLA at anytime really, given my RM connections, but that little ticket allowed me to play. Got there late and there was the usual hassle with will call - so many artists at this fest means wacked out guest lists, but after a few follow up texts, I was in.
4 stages - several hip hop bands doing their classic CDs. Honestly I'm not that into hip hop. It's a lot of black people yelling at you to incomprehensibly loud base (which I like) and screeching midrange (which I don't like) in a really monotonous beat. But my two fav hip hop acts were there: RZA & some of the Wu, and Cypress Hill. C lot had 2 side by side stages in an old skool sound clash duel: Guerilla Union vs. Festival of 36 Chambers. That's a double barrel shotgun of stages with a lot of black people yelling at you to incomprehensibly loud base and screeching midrange in a really monotonous beat. There was a cacaphonic position between the two stages that I found delightful. For most of the day, GU ruled. But then when a few Wu clan members came out, 36 dominated.
I went total ninja in cap and hoody, spied on RM a little (after working SLA for two dozen years, RM is like a magnet - if I don't pay attention, I naturally gravitate back there), bought a $12 beer (how do people afford to get drunk at these shows?). There was a heavy 215 influence - that part of hip hop has blown up massive.
Caught the first half of Cypress Hill from the concourse with an kung fu/rm and really enjoyed it as I've watched that band from the onset and have many fine memories of it. Caught the second half from the lawn with the new shaolin rasta, which as also enjoyable. After that, I hung out at the 36 stage, trying unsuccessfully to catch RZA's eye (hard to compete with all the groupies). 36 was sponsored by Marvel v.s Capcom 3. GZA opened with a sample from Shogun Assassin, the one I used on my phone message during my Santa Cruz spell. I was deep in the crowd, and the shaolin rasta tracked me down. Then a mosh pit broke out right next to us and I had to bail as it was harshin my buzz (some fat dude stepped on my foot and after the Yosemite hike, well, like that's what I wanted to do right then, get in a mosh pit :roll: ). I tucked on the rail on stage left for the rest of the show. There was an amazing spitting demo, downright Supernatural, with objects passed up from the front row integrated immediately and cleverly into the ongoing rap - hardcore skillz, man, hardcore. After the Wu ended, I left w/out checking out Lauryn Hill on the main stage, to get a jump on the exodus. Never been much into Hill and it would have been a bummer after Wu's energetic set.
4 stages - several hip hop bands doing their classic CDs. Honestly I'm not that into hip hop. It's a lot of black people yelling at you to incomprehensibly loud base (which I like) and screeching midrange (which I don't like) in a really monotonous beat. But my two fav hip hop acts were there: RZA & some of the Wu, and Cypress Hill. C lot had 2 side by side stages in an old skool sound clash duel: Guerilla Union vs. Festival of 36 Chambers. That's a double barrel shotgun of stages with a lot of black people yelling at you to incomprehensibly loud base and screeching midrange in a really monotonous beat. There was a cacaphonic position between the two stages that I found delightful. For most of the day, GU ruled. But then when a few Wu clan members came out, 36 dominated.
I went total ninja in cap and hoody, spied on RM a little (after working SLA for two dozen years, RM is like a magnet - if I don't pay attention, I naturally gravitate back there), bought a $12 beer (how do people afford to get drunk at these shows?). There was a heavy 215 influence - that part of hip hop has blown up massive.
Caught the first half of Cypress Hill from the concourse with an kung fu/rm and really enjoyed it as I've watched that band from the onset and have many fine memories of it. Caught the second half from the lawn with the new shaolin rasta, which as also enjoyable. After that, I hung out at the 36 stage, trying unsuccessfully to catch RZA's eye (hard to compete with all the groupies). 36 was sponsored by Marvel v.s Capcom 3. GZA opened with a sample from Shogun Assassin, the one I used on my phone message during my Santa Cruz spell. I was deep in the crowd, and the shaolin rasta tracked me down. Then a mosh pit broke out right next to us and I had to bail as it was harshin my buzz (some fat dude stepped on my foot and after the Yosemite hike, well, like that's what I wanted to do right then, get in a mosh pit :roll: ). I tucked on the rail on stage left for the rest of the show. There was an amazing spitting demo, downright Supernatural, with objects passed up from the front row integrated immediately and cleverly into the ongoing rap - hardcore skillz, man, hardcore. After the Wu ended, I left w/out checking out Lauryn Hill on the main stage, to get a jump on the exodus. Never been much into Hill and it would have been a bummer after Wu's energetic set.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse