REVIEW: The Roots deliver inspired hip-hop funkadelic rock opera soul

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Posted: November 8, 2008 - 1:42 am

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By Dawnell Smith
Daily News correspondent

The Roots rode a hip-hop tsunami to the crest of rock opera before easing into superbad soul during one of the best concerts of the year at the Egan Center Friday night.

The Roots jam at the Egan Center

Anyone who saw Victor Wooten at the Bear Tooth last year or George Clinton in Girdwood four or five years ago knows what I mean. Forget playlists, or long chats about the latest tour, or music industry narcissism.

Indeed, forget the spin, because The Roots blew the top off the joint Friday night with good old-fashioned showmanship, musicianship and an uncanny knack for slowing the pace and then feeding the frenzy without losing control or good humor.

The crowd showed good sense, too. As usually happens in Alaska, most ticket holders showed up right at the bewitching hour, 7:30 p.m., only to wait another 75 minutes for the show to start. It takes a while to usher in over 2,000 people while waving a wand over every one.

The mostly 20-something crowd looked nonplussed about the wait, most of them decked out in beanies and tees, tights and heels, even wool coats and cocktail dresses. They talked on cell phones and chilled out with friends. A few older folks mixed it up as well—a few rounder folks, a few bald heads in a sea of ball caps.

When guitarist Kirk “Captain Kirk” Douglas sauntered onstage to play a funky groove in the low light, iPhones and Blackberries sent out a spray of light.

Soon, bass player Owen Biddle stepped up too, followed by the extravagant sight of Tuba Gooding Jr. with a giant horn curled over his shoulder. From a distance, the bell of his sousaphone looked like an enormous, shimmering gold pan.

Keyboardist Kamal Gray joined the jam next, followed by a roar of approval when Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson stepped up to his drum kit. By the time Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter walked up front in his shiny black down coat and a microphone, patience gave way to positioning. Some pushed forward to get a closer look while other staked out room to dance.

From then on, the band tore through a relentless, driven, mindfully crafted set of jazz-infused hip-hop originals twisted up with rock anthems and soul masterpieces. Imagine a hip-hop show with riffs from Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin and James Brown along with a knockout vocal and guitar blowout by the deft and dazzling Douglas.

I almost felt sorry for Biddle when he followed Douglas with an extended bass solo, but once he dropped down into a bone-shattering blast of low notes, everyone's heart shook.

And, honestly, any band that incorporates a sousaphone player who can dance, ramp up the crowd and sustain the bottom on an already bottomless rage of sound gains substance and flamboyance in equal measure.

At times Black Thought's barrage of lyrics got lost in the cavernous Egan, but that's why we buy CDs and listen to them. People mindlessly sang along when Douglas ran through a few lines of "Sweet Child of Mine," but most of the band's rapping and singing flourished as layers of instrumentation.

The band's influences and innovations came into sharp focus when Black Thought shouted "Watch me, I'm superbad" while dancing in step with the others. The Roots aren't hounding for airtime as much as airing music with scope and vision. The UAA Concert Board spent its increased student fees wisely.

Though the band started late Friday night, they put on a musical maelstrom that satisfied fans while leaving them wanting more.

If you missed the show, check out the Grammy award-winning band's music on standout albums like "Rising Up," "Game Theory" and "Phrenology." But if you made it to the show, then you know that no recording can substitute for the real thing.

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