Recap :: The Roots LIVE at The Fillmore

I originally published this blog post for my Music Monday on The Radiogirl Blog.



Recap :: 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.

Top 5 Reviews of The Roots' "How I Got Over"

The Roots' "How I Got Over" (#HIGO on Twitter) was finally released on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. The project is a Wow! I won't go into detail w/my personal review (not yet), but here's a short list of what folks are saying:

1. From Crawdaddy Mag: "Album Review: The Roots, How I Got Over"

I like the details on this review.

2. From Pitchfork: "The Roots: How I Got Over"

A lengthy, quality music review.

3. From Monsters and Critics: "Roots have another hit with 'How I Got Over'"

This is a thorough assessment of HIGO. Lots of tidbits of information.

4. From Spin: "The Roots, 'How I Got Over'"

Praise for "Dear God 2.0".

5. From The Washington Post's Click Track: "Album Review: "The Roots, "How I Got Over""

Gives credit to the female singers on the album's intro.

So hip hoppers, what are your thoughts on HIGO? You be the critic. kfox.

The Roots Liner Notes for "How I Got Over"

You can be a part of The Roots' upcoming project "How I Got Over". Questlove, the group's legendary drummer, posted a note on Twitter soliciting questions for inclusion on the liner notes for the project.

I've already sent my question:

@okayplayer Why did it take over a year for "How I Got Over" to be officially released? (@Questlove)

But I still have thoughts:

• It seems the liners notes would have been drafted by now since the project drops in less than a month.
• Liner notes are great for albums and cds, but what about mp3s? I guess there some sort of electronic/digital version ... yes, there is, but it does not seem the same.

The questions for The Roots' "How I Got Over" liner notes have been rolling in feverishly.

Get to tweeting hip hoppers. Time to get your name in ink (or digitized). kfox.

New from The Roots "Dear God 2.0"

The countdown continues as The Roots are scheduled to drop their new disc "How I Got Over" on June 22. Here's a track: Dear God.

The Roots :: Dear God 2.0

Go and get a taste of what is good hip hoppers. kfox.

The Roots :: Live in Cleveland

The Roots performed in Cleveland on Tuesday, June 30th at the House of Blues. I had a chance to see the show, but just barely.

Although, the ticket prices were reasonable, I did not buy any tickets. But when I arrived at the venue at about 7:15 p.m., I found out that The Roots would not hit the stage until after 9 p.m.

Well, I called the one and only, party promoter extraordinaire Arnold Hines who told me to sit tight for a minute and he would see what he could do.

I went over to a coffee house on Fourth Street and I was sitting in the window talking on the phone and a guy in a white tee walks by. I nearly drop the phone, but I am a bit shocked because I realize that it is Black Thought from The Roots. He's just walking by like everyone else. So I was thinking I should go and say hi, but I don't really want to bother him and cause a scene, then I say what the heck, but by the time I get out the door, he's disappeared. I hate when that happens.

Thankfully, Arnold came through w/a ticket for me to the show. Otherwise, that would have been it for me - a Black Thought spotting.

So, once I get in the venue, I take it easy and hang out in the corner and wait for the show to start. Part of the venue is standing room only - on the floor. On the upper level, there are some seats. I'm on the second level, and once the show is about to begin. I make my way to a spot where I can at least see something. Just as I am about to nuzzle my way through a few folks, Arnold shows up again and says 'follow me'. I ask no questions, but he is good peeps and he would never mislead me.

And off we go to a private seating area, uh, the lodge. Love that. Great view. There are chairs, but I don't need no stinking chair. I had planned to be on my feet for the entire show. I immediately began to take pics because I was in the balcony, but w/an unobstructed view.

But low and behold, Arnold comes to the lodge and tells me and his other friends that someone just purchased the lodge and we have to bounce. I hate when that happens. Who the heck buys a lodge 45 minutes into the show? Never mind that.

I head back to the upper level, because the SRO section is crazy. Good energy, but I really don't want to be all up on folks like that. Not on this night.

After briefly talking to some friends, Arnold comes back and says 'What happened to you? We got another lodge on the other side.' And off I go to see The Roots from a different vantage point - the opposite of where I'd been. Love that.

The entire band was there including the Sousaphonist. They did alot of popular stuff: "The Seed" w/Capn Kirk doing vocals, a track from "Game Theory". They also did "You Got Me' and that went over very well. I'll give the show an A, but I am super biased. It's been a couple of years since I've seen them perform live.

One final note, after most shows, Questlove will sign his drumsticks and then toss them out to the crowd. I get all geeked because I'm in a sparsely populated lodge in the balcony. This could be the night that I actually come away w/a signed drumstick. When Questo turns to my side of the venue, I throw my hands up and then do the ole 'me-to-you' gesture w/my hands. He seems to notice and tosses the drumstick my way. It goes a bit high and over my head. Much to my dismay, a crowd has gathered behind me. But have no fear, I have on jeans and I dive to the concrete floor ... alas, I do not come up w/the elusive drumstick.

Well enough about my antics hip hoppers ... what have you been up to? kfox.

Check out my archives on The Roots.
Oh, and here's my review of the night I got a double dose of The Roots.

The Rage that is "Rising Down"

I have spent a good portion of my day surfin the web looking for Roots related vids and other assorted audio treats.

My fav band are pimping themselves out all in the name of good music.
?uestlove sent out an blog posting w/a link to a freebie download of the group's Sirius performance - and what kind of fan would I be if I did not share the love ... ? Cool.

But all the rage is really over at Okayplayer - where they have made some creative changes to the design that I had gotten so used to, but it is all good. The blogs are hot, the discussion is feverish and the energy is apparent. You all need to go and get somma that!

Oh, and I found this interview link there too. As I recall, the interview w/?uesto is about 12-15 minutes, but time well spent - if you like The Roots.

And here is a vid of Black Thought on BET's Rap City. Yeah, his abilities are obvious.

I have not forgotten about my comments on "Rising Down". Briefly, it is stellar. The beats are jumping out at me; love that. I mean, they are indeed a band. But as a result, of the hyper-sensitive beats, I find it hard to concentrate on the lyrics. The guests on the disk bring a lot of flavor and style and a different dimension.

There's a lot to go around hip hoppers, so what are you sharing w/me ... ? ;-) kfox

The Roots' Black Thought is Da Bomb!

This video is oh so cool. I am a big fan of Black Thought and his lyrical skills. This video had my undivided attention - just nice to see him in action.