I have been a fan of The Roots, the amazing hip hop band out of of Philadelphia (best known as the house band on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”), for many, many years, but I had never seen them live until this past Saturday night at Ravinia (with Digable Planets and Arrested Development) and WOW.
Some Background
I became obsessed with hip hop around 1987 and it was my favorite genre of music until the mid-late 90s when I felt it began lose its edge, get repetitive, and kinda sound the same.
For about 8 years, though, hip hop was easily the most creative, important, impactful, and diverse genre of music out there.
During that stretch, the three acts performing Saturday at Ravinia were among the most important. They were three of my favorite at that time, easily.
The Roots brought a unique, jazzy, and eclectic approach to hip hop with their use of much more than turntables and microphones. The full band featured horns, guitar, drums, keyboards, and vocalists all performing live without a recorded beat or drum track. Lead by MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter (who formed the group with Amir “Questlove” Thompson), their incredible work was experimental yet traditional.
Digable Planets, also out of Philly, formed in 1987 as a trio who also brought a jazzy feel to their hip hop and an experimental attitude to their music. Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug released two seminal hip hop albums in the early 90s (“Reachin’” and the extraordinary “Blowout Comb”) before breaking up in late 1996. Singles like “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” and “Where I’m From” are classics in the genre.
Arrested Development (my absolute favorite of the three acts), from Atlanta, is one of the most important hip hip groups in music history. They formed in 1988 by MC Speech and turntablist Headliner, and became popular in the early 90s for their positive, Afrocentric, and alternative approach to the genre (especially to Gangsta Rap). Their debut album “3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…” is one of the best debut albums of any genre and one of the most important rap albums of all time. Their song “Revolution” was featured in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X,” and their positive, unique and new vision continued to flourish until 1996 when they disbanded.
What a Show
The chance to see these three incredible acts on one bill was not to be missed, so my lovely girlfriend Julie and I packed up the cart with food, chairs, a table, and some drinks, and headed to Ravinia.
The weather was perfect. We found a great spot on the lawn surrounded by very cool folks, met up with friends for some great conversation and food, and then the show started.
The Roots took the stage and I wondered what the hell was going on. Why was the headliner on stage first? Did the other acts cancel?”
Those thoughts faded as The Roots kicked it off with incredible covers of Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie" and Instant Funk’s “I Got My Mind Made Up,” while tearing up the stage with energy, showmanship, and musicianship of mind-blowing power.
Then Tariq (aka Black Thought, an incredible rapper/MC) introduced Digable Planets and I realized the evening was going to be a showcase with The Roots as the “house band” for the whole night. Incredible.
Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug walked on stage and, with one of the best bands in the world backing them, tore it up with incredible versions of “Where I’m From,” “Nickel Bags,” “9th Wonder,” and more.
Each MC was in fine form (Ladybug Mecca was exceptionally cool), the music was extraordinary, and the whole crowd (including myself) were on their feet dancing their asses off.
Digable left the stage and The Roots continued with their set. Then, Black Thought introduced Arrested Development and I went nuts.
Speech and the crew did a short set that included “Mr. Wendel” and “Tennessee,” and the vibe was powerful, positive, and downright joyful. I remembered immediately why I love this band so much and just how incredible they are live. Once again, The Roots never left the stage, playing all of the music for Arrested Development.
After Arrested’s songs, The Roots kicked into high gear with a monster set that included classics like “Web/Dance Girl,” “Here I Come,” and “You Got Me.”
The energy level was at a high that only NASA could accurately measure. Each member of the band got to solo and show off their talent (yeah, there was an awesome tuba solo), which all built up to Digable Planets coming back on stage for knockout versions of “Appointment at the Fat Clinic,” and, of course, “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).”
The final stretch of the show was the best. I was pretty much losing my mind, dancing like a lunatic, and forming bonds and friendships with everyone around me. Arrested Development returned to join The Roots to make the audience even happier with cuts like “Children Play With Earth,” “Revolution,” and “People Everyday,” which actually made me cry. The Roots then closed out the show in epic fashion, and thus ended one of the best concerts I have ever seen in my life.
Seeing these important, legendary groups on stage, performing music that means so much to me was just spectacular, even more so because of the company I was with (Julie loved the show, even though she was not familiar with most of the songs). The atmosphere was that of complete and utter happiness.
The feelings I experienced back in the day when I listened to these bands in my car or on my turntable came rushing back while I was dancing like an idiot in the middle of Highland Park on a warm Saturday night. It was a show I will never forget and a night I will treasure for years to come.
Oh, and by the way, Oscar-winner Questlove, who kept the beat going for the entire show, never left the stage once in almost three hours. An inspiring, remarkable feat, even for someone who has to put up with jackass Jimmy Fallon four nights a week.
Thank you, The Roots, Digable Planets and Arrested Development. What a night.
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