There was a lot to celebrate the night before Dr. Martin Luther King Day and Obama’s inauguration. People gathered from all the boroughs, especially Brooklyn, to spend the night with Talib Kweli at SOBs in SoHo.
First to take the stage was Brooklyn native Kris Kasanova. His performance was energetic. His songs touched on dark subjects yet still had a catchy commercial sensibility. Kasanova’s excellent drummer Manny Laine’s performance was of special note. It had real flair. Laine had a wonderful ease at the drum set and caught my attention often. During the set Kasanova gave a shout out to his adorable mother and played her favorite song, “Picture Me Rolling.” Kasanova’s mom danced and sang along, clearly beaming for her son.
The next performer, Texan, Cory Mo was less successful at holding the crowd’s attention. Mo’s sound was similar to Andre 3000, but without Andre’s quirkiness. Additionally, lyrics like, “let me school you monkey niggas on some country rap tunes/way before CDs, MP3′s, and iTunes,” came off a little corny and stale.
Next the headliner, Brooklyn native, Talib Kweli took the stage. He wore big sunglasses and a cap with the word “Black” emblazoned on it. The artist dedicated his set to Gil Scott-Heron and Dr. Martin Luther King. It was fitting to celebrate MLK Day with Kweli, who is known for his politically minded and socially conscious rap, and his sheer presence made the crowd wild. His performance was bolstered by a tight band. Together they premiered new songs off Kweli’s upcoming album Prisoner of Conscious as well as some old favorites.
Unfortunately poor sound equipment drowned Kweli’s vocals for the first few songs, but he persevered. The artist was in constant motion for virtually the entire performance, rallying the crowd. Despite his constant pacing, Kweli was able to make the performance feel personal. His band’s solos, short as they were, were also compelling. The pianist Yuki Hirano surprised me with a solo that sounded like a dream sequence.
Towards the end of the set Kweli relied on old favorites to keep the crowd going. It worked. “Definition” was as good as it ever was, even without Mos Def. And “All The Lonely People,” which started with Kweli’s slightly shaky singing voice, turned into more of a drum heavy dynamo. The show ended with the optimistic song “Get By,” which perfectly embodied the mood of the evening.
-Becky Dole