Glow in the Dark
Just got back from the Glow in the Dark show at Arco Arena. It was pretty good but I was hoping for more from Lupe Fiasco. I like Kanye West (sometimes) and I knew his live show would be great with the amount of money behind it, but I was just as interested in seeing Lupe's live show. Unfortunately he was the first of four which means lower volume, less stage time, and minimal lighting. I thought for sure he would be right before Kanye but I guess he's not as popular as I thought.
Lupe's set wasn't bad but the sound quality wasn't great either, which can be common at Arco Arena. Lupe could have used a live band which would have been much better, but being the opener that's probably too much to ask for. He played the "hits" including songs with Matthew Santos (who I thought was a well known singer for some reason but apparently he's not) and the girl from his video (don't know her name or the song) who actually lip synced! That's not cool. All of the music is already pre-recorded, so how can you stand there and lip sync over the album recording? Oh and another thing, Lupe Fiasco needs to stop singing. The singing is bad on the album, and the singing live is worse and he even sings more. He shouldn't do anymore singing until he's had more practice. Lots more. Well I just dumped on Lupe but nevertheless I enjoyed the performance.
Next up was NERD who I know nothing about. I don't understand their music, meaning that the sounds I hear do not combine well in my brain. The music is upbeat, funky, lots of synth, some rock. Then the vocals are somewhere between rapping and singing but I don't know where. Definitely an original sound but one that is hard for me to figure out. The live band was cool and I especially was grooving on the two drummers both rocking with full kits.
Rihanna came next. I've never heard of her and was surprised to see her 3rd in line. Her last song (or I thing it was last) sounded good. I think she said it was number one on some chart. Never heard it before but it had a good, full sound that I liked. On some of the slower songs her voice reminded me of Nelly Furtado. Her stage had more flare; dancers, props, and more lighting to give the show more excitement. The live band was good and once again I enjoyed the drums.
And then Kanye West took over with an elaborate setup that I was quite impressed with. On top of the stage he had another stage with uneven terrain on top of which was a moving platform on which Kanye delivered his rhymes. Behind and around him were lights, video projectors and yes, smoke. Overall the narrative and visuals were very cool and fun to watch. He also had a live band, but still a lot of the sound was probably synthesized. The band was lined up in front under the stage like you would see at a Nutcracker performance, which left Kanye alone on his moving platform surrounding by lights while the band was kept in the shadows below. He also did not invite any guests on stage so it was all Kanye and his big ego up there. I'm impressed that one man can be the focus of and entertain 10,000+ people for over an hour so I give him a lot of credit for pulling that off. If I saw the show again I'd want to sit front and center and would expect better sound quality, which could change with different seating and venue of course.
Here's some further random observations I made at the show:
1. Lots of Asians. I expected a large African American audience, being that every performer was African American, but I may have seen more white people, and definitely more Asians.
2. Everyone was well-behaved. Usually concert goers are aggressive, loud, and potentially dangerous. This crowd had none of these qualities. No fights or ejections that I could see.
3. Light security check. Before getting into the venue, a man briefly waved a metal detector across my abdomen and asked me if I had a camera or cell phone. I said yes and he motioned me to move forward. I've never been to a concert without a full contact body examination and emptying of pockets.
4. Fresh air. The Arco Arena has never felt so fresh. The air was cool and breathable. Where was all the smoke and body odor?
5. No weed. With the exception of a few whiffs, the air was free of both marijuana and tobacco smoke. How is that possible!?
