A review of the Common concert

I've really been buying a lot of concert tickets this month. Normally I'll go to one every other month, but since I got my new job working for Satan I can actually afford to buy tickets more often. Now, every time I go to a good show I always come out saying "holy shit, that was the best concert I've ever been to!" So every concert is either the best concert or not the best concert I've ever been to, nothing in between. Anyway, I just went to the Common concert last Thursday night totally stoked because I always have a good time at a hip hop concert, not to mention Common is a bad ass with his sexy bald head.

I had to walk the 20 something blocks from work to get there, which would really have been a downer but my body is incapable of sweating unless I'm standing on the surface of the sun. I actually ended up getting there really early (7:30) considering Common didn't come on until 10:00, but hip hop concerts are not worth going to if you aren't in the center of the pulsating ball of energy created by adoring fans near the front.

So I stake out my prime location about seven or eight undefinable rows back from the stage and listen to the opener, Free Sol. Free sol, who described his band as "hip hop with a little bit of rock" isn't terrible, but made some pretty mood altering mistakes. It's always a bad idea to demand the audience chant things during your first song. I mean,I'm all about the chanting it's a good way to ramp the momentum, but you gotta earn my trust first. I'm not gunna just shout out what ever someone tells me to repeat. Nor should you try to let the audience fill in the words to your song when they have no idea who you are. The poor guy just could not get the audience involved like he wanted and then just got angry about it like a little hip hop diva pussybitch. He just really didn't make a great impression on anyone, which is sad because had I not seen what a tool this guy was I probably would have listened to his music and liked it.

Despite the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd it's still piping hot and we're all dying of heat stroke like regular geriatrics. Well guess who didn't give a fuck, Common, that's who. He didn't come out for like 45 minutes, which, ok I get it, it takes you a while to set your stage, get your instruments tuned, and finish whatever it is you're doing in your trailor, but I think you should at least recognize that we love you and here in Texas it's still 103 degrees at 9:00 and maybe only do a couple lines. Is that so much to ask? Finally Common decides to join us after the crowd has been chanting his name for a good 15 minutes. I'll admit he looked smooth as hell in his leather jacked sun shades and shiny bald head and he played a pretty great show with songs from good ole Resurrection, Be, and probably some others I haven't heard.
Things are going good, the shows awesome and it seems like everyone is generally enjoying themselves... and then about an hour after he started Common abruptly introduces his band and throws us the deuce. I guess maybe he wasn't feeling it who knows, but he sure as hell didn't call us back after that first date. He didn't even come on to do an encore and I've never been to a concert where the artist didn't do an encore. It's fine, whatever, my feelings aren't hurt but I can assure you Common if we happen to meet on the street at some time in the future I will not stop to say hello and I will continue walking without making eye contact in any way.

Not the best show I've ever been to.