I Went to a Show: Busdriver and 6Blocc at Whiskey Bar (August 13, 2010)

What an odd night.

Though it had all the usual features of a typical hip hop show (endless opening groups, a "host," sporadic DJ sets), this turned out to be anything but. Yes, the posters advertised the show as "Busdriver & 6Blocc," but I just assumed that meant they were co-headliners. And when it said the show was going until 4AM, I just figured that meant the bar would be open that late (this is the former Ohm, after all). It was Friday the 13th, for what it's worth. So maybe that had something to do with it.

There were at least four opening acts, including Unified Theory, Elevated Entities (who announced that they are now just calling themselves "Elevated" - bold move), Midas Dutch, and Marv Ellis. They all had their own things going on, and I don't really feel like explaining any of it. Though two of the acts put thump beats over well-known 80's pop songs, which surpassed irony and went straight to laziness. So that was something, I guess.

Anyway, Busdriver finally came out around midnight, with 6Blocc in tow. 6Blocc, it turns out, is a DJ (like the kind who plays in "dance" clubs), though he looks more like a high school math teacher. Not that I give a shit about that - in fact it made me like him more - but it caught me off guard at first. They got things going quickly and forcefully, busting into a electro-bumpy beat that rumbled the whole place. People in front of me and my accompanying friend began dancing like I had never seen people dance before. (In person, at least.) Flailing arms, sweat flying - doing things that made me think they were trying to "feel" the music. I felt like I was in an episode of Law & Order, at a place where people do "designer drugs."

Anyway, the beat was kicking, I didn't recognize it, and Busdriver was jittering around and freestyling over it. Cool. Until a half-hour later, when I realized that was all that was going to happen. The DJ played his beats (which, though I'm not a fan of that kind of music, were quite good), and Busdriver improvised. The kids who were in their own little dance worlds loved it. Me? I wanted to hear dude play some of his songs, or at least kick some lyrics that weren't made up on the spot. Two hours later, I realized it really wasn't going to happen.

I never thought I'd leave a Busdriver show before it was over, but we did just that. It was 2AM, there seemed to be no end in sight, and we walked. I didn't have a bad time, but it wasn't what I had hoped for. And that's my fault: I should have done my research. And who are we kidding? I would have gone anyway. But the $15 ticket price left a sour taste in my mouth. Still, it was an experience. And I like those.