Music Monday 167 :: Snoop Dogg "Gin & Juice" LIVE w/The Roots

Music Monday 167 :: Snoop Dogg "Gin & Juice" LIVE w/The Roots

Just in time for summer ... a live concert performance of what will surely be a classic (a little premature to make that claim; at least in my book).

This is not my favorite song, but I do love a party starter and this is that. And to have this performance backed up by The Roots, who I love unconditionally, is certainly one way to win me over.

Music Monday 117 :: The Roots LIVE at The Fillmore

Music Monday 117 :: The Roots LIVE at The Fillmore

My return home from Cairo has been pleasant. But so far the highlight has been seeing The Roots perform at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD.

 The Roots perform at The Fillmore on Fri., Dec. 30, 2011. Taken by Kim Fox.

The Roots are my favorite band. They're a true reflection of what music is and should be. They're true musicians and know music.

They did "Proceed (1995)" and at the bridge then threw in some go-go music. It was crazy cool. The Roots guitarist Capn Kirk continues to be a beast and rocked out the scene on Friday. Of course Questlove and Black Thought, probably the most well known members of The Roots, did their thing; they strong represent their artforms - percussion and lyrics respectively. Bilal was in the house and so was Dice Raw.

Capn Kirk (standing on the drums) goes toe-to-toe w/drummer Questlove. Taken by Kim Fox. 2011.

They did some of their old joints like "You Got Me (1999)," "The Seed (2002)" (for the encore); they threw in some Kool and the Gang, some blues and some rock; they just put it down.

The Roots drummer Questlove gets the spotlight to show off a little bit. Taken by Kim Fox. 2011.

We went up for the drum stick toss from Questlove at the end of the show. I wasn't hopeful because we weren't quite close enough. You see, I've been to numerous Roots shows and I've never been fortunate enough to catch the coveted Questlove signed drum stick. However, my friend has a virtual collection of signed drum sticks from Questlove. Point is, the drum toss went quick and we both came out empty handed. But it's all good because The Roots show did not disappoint.

Music Monday 28 :: Sergio Mendes' "Timeless"

Here's a cd that I can listen to from front to back w/out skipping any tracks in between. That's because Sergio Mendes is phenomenal. Then he went and got will.i.am, who's phenomenal, to produce most of the "Timeless" project.

I like hip hop, it is the genre that I enjoy most. For Mendes to infuse hip hop throughout "Timeless" just made my day. He pulled in a pretty high end guest list as well: Jill Scott, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and many more including one of my favs Black Thought from The Roots.

Though my love for hip hop is evident on the disc, it does cross genres too. There's some RnB flavor, some samba and reggaeton.

My fav tracks are "Yes, Yes Y'all", "The Frog" and my number one, "That Heat". I love the tempo on "That Heat". The lyrics are okay ... but I do like what Erykah Badu brings to the table as well; she brings a little bit of mellow and sultriness. Check it out if you get a chance.

That Heat - Sergio Mendes

Five Things I Like

I was browsing the web and I came across Ali Edwards' blog (actually I have it bookmarked and I check it out every few weeks). Who is Edwards? Well, check out her blog and you will get a general idea. She definitely gets 'cool' points though.

One of the older posts was about documenting the Five Things That You Like. So I thought I'd address the topic myself:

popcorn

sunshine

hip hop music / The Roots

being outdoors

reading

And not particularly in that order. So simple, huh? It doesn't take much to be happy.

Music Festivals

Why didn't anyone tell me about some of these HUGE music festivals ... ? Coachella seems absolutely fabulous! It's a three day festival from Friday, April 27, 2007 until Sunday, April 29, 2007 in Indio, CA. A three day pass is $249, but thosse babies are all SOLD OUT! Here are just a few of the names on the bill:

The Roots
DJ Shadow
El-P
Spank Rock
Artic Monkeys
The Decemberists
BusDriver
Regina Spektor
Lily Allen
Amos Lee
Amy Winehouse
Lupe Fiasco
The Black Keys
Ghostface Killah
and tons more!

Next up is Bonnaroo! Woo Hoo, is what I say. It's from Thursday, June 14, 2007 until Sunday, June 17, 2007 in Manchester, TN! Tix are now $214.50 for the entire festival (they started out at $184.50) and there is also a service fee AND a shipping fee. But what you're really inkling to know is who's at this shindig, eh?

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
The Roots
Franz Ferdinand
Lily Allen
Mavis Staples
Junior Brown
Xavier Rudd
Aesop Rock
Wolfmother
Michael Franti and Spearhead
and tons more

I'm really considering Bonnaroo since I should be in desperate need of a breather by then, but I'd need to get the tix like ... now! And all of my expendible cash is tied up in trips to Boston and Vegas. Oh, woe is me ... I may have to just settle for a t-shirt from their online stores. :-(