Bonna-Recap: Beer and Loafing in Tennessee
Photos By Steve Cross
Well, it's all over now, baby blue. Somehow, I made it out with only a little bit of sunburn on my calves, an empty wallet and a handful of brain cells that didn't drown in booze. I also managed to leave my keys when I left the house on Friday and smashed my skull on the floor as I climbed through an unlocked window yesterday—a little head injury to remind me of my journey into the heart of darkness.
I might just be a bitter old commie but Against Me! and The Coup—the festival's most explicitly political acts—were by far the most impressive. After ten years of worshiping The Coup's post-Marxist, hyper-literate g-funk, it was a pleasure to finally see their live act. Their albums are masterfully crafted productions of sublimely soulful, intelligent rap that I thought were too perfect to make the transition to a big huge tent. Boy, was I ever wrong.
Boots Riley, the lyricist and mastermind, has an engrossing presence that is forceful and impressive, and his band? Oh dear god they are badass. Bonnaroo has a lot of incredible performers, but The Coup just struck me as being in a league of their own. Maybe it was because they were translating a sample based form into a live experience or maybe I was just a drunken pinko—either way I'm dying for them to put out a new album. Shit, maybe the unthinkable will happen and they'll actually play a show here in town....
Comments
I advised everyone I knew who was going to Bonnaroo to catch The Coup based on the strength of their 2001 opus Party Music, I'm glad to hear that they did not disappoint.
Who knows, maybe they'll come to Nashville. Aesop Rock did a couple months after Bonnaroo was his first Tennessee show. But does Nashville have a venue that can accommodate the kind of show that The Coup would bring? The only hip-hop shows I've caught here (not counting P.O.S. who was tied to a Minus the Bear show) were The Roots/Blackalicious and M.I.A. at City Hall (soon to be defunct) and Aesop Rock at Cannery, which felt like a very uncomfortable fit.
Posted 06/16/2008 at 09:06:30 PMIf I were to bring the Coup to town I would do the show at The Rutledge, hedge your bets on the capacity but gaurentee awesome sound and a good vibe.
Posted 06/17/2008 at 09:09:43 AM