Mel D. Cole has his eye on music.
It finally happened for me internets. The skies opened up and I was granted backstage access to the Roots Jam Session at the Highline Ballroom. It was the moment that I had been waiting for. To witness the greatest living band, yes I said it, Fuck Yo’ Metallica!, as they prepared for their weekly show.
It was exactly as I had imagined it would be. Contemplative. Intense. Familial. And more crowded than a muvv up in that muvv. I tried to be a fly on the wall, albeit, a 375lb. fly on the wall. It didn’t work totally, but I think I finally crossed over to the other side. We’ll see what happens next week when I try to win again.
The Roots Jam Session is actually better than the baby wipes revolution. Because it is completely unpredictable. I always leave the Jam Session feeling like I peeled back another layer of the Roots artistry. You already know that ?uestlove is the sorcerer that keeps the groove in line just like Black Thought knows everyones rhymes. Speaking of lines, Styles P forget HIS own lines on the track ‘Rising Down’ but Black Thought spit his rhymes for him while Styles became his hype man.
Bilal returned to the Jam Session as well as Tanya Morgan but the guest that impressed the most on me was this young lady who rocked the bass for a funky little set. The Roots Jam Session is one of the few if not only places you can go to see women musicians who aren’t just singers. The Jam Session is possibly the most hip-hop shit going on since the late 1970’s. Before graffiti and rap music moved into the galleries and discos downtown. Well, ironically the Highline Ballroom IS downtown and not in the Bronx.
Don’t tell me that you want to go to the Jam but you can’t buy tickets online. Chocolate Snowflake just purchased our tickets for the July 14th show and my homey from the DMV will be coming uptop for the July 21st set. This is the best $10 you are going to spend anywhere in New York City. The good news is that I see they have extended their run into November. You have no excuse for not fuxing with the legendary. You already know I will be there.
You know if I could, I would…
That being said, bring the fire and the footage.
Thanks again Dallas for the hooktacular… Twas a good night and one of the better musical experiences I’ve had in my life. When those horns and instruments were rocking it seemed like a throwback to the jook joints and jazz clubs of the days of yore. I hope that at some point the Roots drop another live album of collaborations from these great nights of music…
When I saw a Roots concert at GW University (in DC) back in late 1990’s, I was lucky enough to catch a drumstick that was thrown into the crowd by Questlove. It is funny that the “concert” had the Roots headlining for Coolio (!). The Roots put on an amazing concert and I always stopped by to see them at the 930 Club whenever they rolled through…
It was also at the 930 Club that I was standing in line to see a Lyricist Lounge concert, when a young white rapper was passing out flyers and stuff and asking people to look out for his music. Little do you expect: this person turned into Eminem. I did get a vinyl copy of “Brain Damage”.
i love how dude brought up the baby wipes revolution, but then couldn’t comment on his septic tank.