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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Live Reviews / Opinion / News Live Review: The Swelly Life Tour
Posted By Mike McCray on Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 1:25 PM
The Swelly Life Tour: Chiddy Bang, Donnis & XV w/ Dow Jones
Tremont Music Hall
Aug. 18, 2010
The Deal: American alt hip-hop acts bring international hype and flavor back to the States and Tremont Music Hall on Tuesday night.
The Good: For a crowd that was modest in size, they more than made up for that in enthusiasm. Seemingly unfazed by the sweltering heat and lack of personal space, they rocked wholeheartedly for everybody from the openers to the headliners.
Once again Dow Jones continued his reign as Charlotte's de facto opening act (a reign that will continue next week at The Fillmore opening for Nas & Damian Marley). He was again the beneficiary of an absolute dream of a crowd. Their participation was amazing, especially considering they weren't familiar with the material.
Two weeks removed from signing with Warner Bros, XV might have been the real star of the show. His high-energy set was extremely engaging and fans were treated to songs ranging from South inspired crunk, "Gobstoppers," to sampling The Pixies "Where Is My Mind?" for his "Nevermind." Arguably the best set of the evening, easily the most surprising, he was engaging and interactive in a way I wish more hip-hop artists were during live shows. His All-V track (think Jay-Z's 22 2's but with the letter V) was a nice touch.
Donnis continued his trek through the Carolinas with a set that was eclectic but abbreviated. Well short of the 25-30 minutes slated, he packed in a blend of singles and mixtape material.
Chiddy Bang cemented their headliner status. Their set was a calculated frenzy, no DJ, no problem. The Philadelphia duo, who's notoriety in the UK exceeds their U.S. fame, found a dedicated fan base in Charlotte. They knew all the words, bounced to every song and went ape shit for the freestyles and material they'd never heard before.
Probably the most compelling part of their set was the crowd participation segment where 6 random topics were written in Sharpie or party plates and worked into a freestyle. That was pretty awesome, possibly awesomer was how cool they were with fans just wandering their way on stage. Whether it was the girl crouching by the speaker, the dude standing on one or the guy with the glasses who just ran up to put his arm around the MC, it was a very rockstar moment.
I was also impressed by their drummer, cuing the music from his side while playing the drums and also keeping the beat with a mixed drink in one hand.
The Bad: While their energy was golden, a bunch of teenagers in a party atmosphere are bound to act their age. Their overzealousness negatively affected the show, most notably when one fan stage-crashed, not to bounce with the artists like other fans had, but to do his own thing before being forcibly removed. What else do you expect to happen when kids are front row with private school junior varsity lacrosse T-shirts dated 2009 on?
I've never seen so many industrial-sized fans feel so useless. Jesus, it was sweltering. The roaches didn't seem to mind it though.
The Verdict: Completely sold on Chiddy Bang. I'd been skeptical of what they were going for exactly — after seeing it live I completely understand. Donnis was cool albeit concise. XV really stood out and will literally have you checking for hip-hop out of Kansas after hearing him.
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