THE ROOTS @ House of Blues w/Fuzz Jaxx
Prelude (9pm): How He DoOn Saturday March 4, the old cliché “good things come to those who wait” was never truer. After years in the grind the Port City’s Fuzz Jaxx came out the box and put on a fierce performance opening for seminal hip hop superstars, The Roots, at House of Blues. To say this was his most important hip hop moment would be an understatement. This night was the equivalent of Deniro’s first read with Scorcese; it was Jordan’s initial visit with Dean Smith; it was Hemingway lending this novice writer his pen and paper.
In front of more than two thousand hip hop aficionados, Fuzz’s performance was truly noteworthy. With his DJ, Suspense and uber-hype man, Joe Marengo (aka the Italian Scallion) whipping the crowd into a frenzy, FJ brought the house down with a collection of tracks from his most recent recordings as well as the joints that have become a staple of his live shows.
As if that alone would not be enough for any audience, he and former Organix vocalist, McClain put their heads together and crafted a collaboration of hip hop and R&B that not only made a musical statement but offered the most ideal transition into The Roots’ set that I have ever seen. Since the mid-90’s I have been to dozens of shows with the Roots and have never been a part of a more perfect supporting act. In fact, as I passed one of their entourage back stage, I asked him what he thought of the opener… “On point,” he said smiling, clearly affected by the brilliance, “they brung it.” I reached into the cooler, grabbed a Heineken can, nodded and said “That’s how he do.”
Showtime (10pm): How They Do
I made my way back through the crowd and got into my usual post-up position behind the sound board and next to the main bar. I have always liked this spot because I can get to the bathroom, to the bar and/or to the exit quickly. This night in Myrtle Beach, SC at the House of Blues was sold out. As I have aged, I have come to dislike crowded spaces, especially those spaces where movement is restricted. I wanted to see the show in as comfortable an environment as possible, hence my choice of locations.
Traditionally, the Roots know how to make an entrance. This night was no exception. From the back of the crowd they made their way to the stage with what appeared to be a small marching band. They began the onslaught of crowd favorites with a few selections from their most recent album, The Game Theory. Then, they blended in a few of the classic joints off of the records that pushed them from Philly-faves to international superstardom.
Hip-hop performers have a bad “rap” because of their short sets and often times the group is not all in attendance. However, this is never the case with the Roots. A few years back in an interview with ?uestlove—the recognizable Roots’ drummer and genius behind the marketing of Okayplayer.com, etc— I remember him telling me that the live show was what their band liked to do. “Performance,” if I recall is what he said was “why we do this.” As far as the extra musicians on stage, they usually enlist an armada of horn players, additional guitarists and vocalists as if they were preparing for a studio session. But this has become part of their live sets since The Roots Come Alive documented this fierce attention to the performance in front of an audience eight years ago.
Because of their commitment to the music that they helped put on the map coupled with their dynamic stage presence, they are able to snatch the energy that was thick in the building from the crowd’s anticipation, stirred by Fuzz’s stellar effort and distribute the love back to the audience one person at a time. Amazingly, they are able to maintain this high level of “joie de vivre” into their unmistakable brand of music for nearly two hours…every time.
For this, I have always been a huge fan of the Roots. I am dumbfounded that they command such a mass of fans from all over the world. Not because they don’t deserve this sort of worship more closely associated with crappy boy bands or those made for MTV “punk” bands with tribal tattoos and requisite piercings. Just that I never anticipated the hip-hop scene to take off like it has, largely because of the quality of work that the Roots continue to put on wax and replicate on the stages everywhere. I guess the Roots are hip-hop’s Radiohead—loved by many for their brilliance that they are able to revisit year after year. Sadly, they are no longer my little secret. Everybody loves the Roots now.
