The best, legendary, hard working, revolutionary, sure shot from Philadelphia P.A. The Roots Crew.
After Daniel and I got in from the train from Switzerland we took enough time to drop our bags and change out of my travel clothes and headed back out to go to a Roots concert, that is right a hip hop concert... in Paris.
I was more than tired heading out on the metro and once we had arrived in the concert venue I was really questioning this perticular choice. I could not decide in which way I was going to feel more out of place: in my pale conplextion or my lack of french. Well it seems the hip hop crowd in Paris is just as pale as me and I soon learned I could make out french rap as well as english rap... Bein!
The first thing we made note of being at a french concert was the baguette stand down in the pit. You can see the light up top on the right. They also sold beer and they were baguette sandwiches but still... a baguette cart at a hip hop concert.
The first of the opening acts was a white rapper who was not quite bring it in stage presents. We got a great chuckle out of a string of french rap and then an occasional "shit" or "MF" apparently if you are going to curse in rap you are always going to curse in English... oh and "bang" "bang" also seems to translate pretty easily.
Daniel questioning authenticity of the rapper's gangster creed.
The second opening act was fantastic, and really enjoyable to watch despite again having no idea what we were singing about. We did learn such helpful french phases as " Levez Vos Mains" "Raise your hands" and " Comme ca, frappe le "beat" come ca" "Like this, beat the beat like this." It is always easier to translate when the speaker adds visuals. Another thing that seemed to translate pretty easily is when a crowd member is singled out for not participating, shame.
Oh and they had a drop down screen to play movie trailers and tv commercials in-between the opening act and the Roots, what are you going to do not look? That would be a clip from "Brave" or "Braver" as the trailer indicated.
THE ROOTS!
We forgot the camera so Daniel's camera phone only did close up so well.
What a great show! They were so energetic, there was HS Band kick line choreography for the guitar player, bass, and tuba player. That is right Tuba Player, whose's best moment was when the top of his tuba fell off into the pit. They started the show with a cover of "Paul Revere" by the Beastie Boys and proceded to do such great covers as "Sweet Child of Mine" "Jungle Boogie" and I think Journey but Daniel says I am wrong, I say he is wrong.
Sadly no Jimmy Fallon, but who had time to miss him with the constant stream of music fly at you. I was so glad we went and was completely still into by the end of the show when everything had become fairly muffled.
Our view of not only the stage but of the huge clouds of smoke coming off the pit crowd.
What a great time... super exhausted afterwards... but worth it.
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