lyneday
08-10-2007, 08:06 AM
The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/arts/music/10beas.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin)
August 10, 2007
Music Review | Beastie Boys
Giving the Hometown Fans a Dose of Classic Hometown Hip-Hop
By NATE CHINEN
It’s not often that a rapper draws cheers of solidarity for his mode of transportation to a show. But when the Beastie Boys played Central Park SummerStage on Wednesday night, Mike D (a k a Michael Diamond) made a point of complaining, or bragging, about his slow ride uptown on an underventilated A train. On a day of citywide transit woes caused by a freak summer storm, the idea hit home: this is how we roll too.
The crowd, however gratified, couldn’t have been surprised. Since their upstart beginnings more than a quarter-century ago, the Beastie Boys have made a sport of New York City references, with an emphasis on gritty detail. A few songs after Mike D’s subway comment, his colleague Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) dropped another one, in verse form:
“We’re doin’ fine on the 1 and 9 line/On the L we’re doin’ swell.”
No one seemed bothered by his utopian description, or by the fact that there’s no longer a 9 train (perhaps because he went on to say, “On the No. 10 bus, we fight and fuss”).
Nostalgia was what fueled the show, which had the Beasties decked out in suits and skinny ties, tearing through hits and obscurities with an anarchic and only faintly dutiful fervor. It was hot and oppressively humid in the park, and there were rumors, later confirmed, that the day’s troubles had involved a tornado in Brooklyn. Somehow these were ideal conditions for a hometown Beastie Boys extravaganza.
The group has a new instrumental album, “The Mix-Up” (Capitol), that reverse-engineers their typical sound, pulling back toward the 1970s funk, soul and dub reggae that constitute the roots of hip-hop. A handful of those tracks turned up in the set, with Mike D playing drums, Ad-Rock on guitar and MCA (Adam Yauch) on bass.
At times, most noticeably on “Off the Grid,” they got a welcome assist from the keyboardist Money Mark (Mark Ramos-Nishita) and the percussionist Alfredo Ortiz. As a shaggy but capable five-piece, they managed some likable grooves. Still, it wasn’t the best idea to line up three nonvocal numbers in a row. (You can only wish the best for the fans who flock to the Hammerstein Ballroom tonight for an all-instrumental set.)
The show worked best when it scrambled old and new: a smart strategy for a trio of brash adolescents who happen to be in their 40s. Some changes, like the catalog of stylish new beats underpinning “Brass Monkey,” came at the hands of their stalwart D.J., Mix Master Mike (Michael Schwartz).
Other changes were more contextual. Playing one of their protozoan hardcore tunes, “Egg Raid on Mojo,” the Beasties sounded older but not much wiser, which is just the misleading impression they probably intended.
Similarly, on “Sure Shot” MCA rasped a vintage lyric: “I’ve got more rhymes than I’ve got gray hairs/And that’s a lot, because I’ve got my share.” Combining a standard hip-hop boast with a comic admission, the line was pure Beastie Boys. And to their credit, it didn’t feel any more like an apology now than it did then.
The Beastie Boys perform tonight at the Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, Manhattan; (212) 307-7171, mcstudios.com.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/10/arts/10beas-600.jpg
The Beastie Boys at Central Park SummerStage, from left: MCA, Mike D and Ad-Rock.
August 10, 2007
Music Review | Beastie Boys
Giving the Hometown Fans a Dose of Classic Hometown Hip-Hop
By NATE CHINEN
It’s not often that a rapper draws cheers of solidarity for his mode of transportation to a show. But when the Beastie Boys played Central Park SummerStage on Wednesday night, Mike D (a k a Michael Diamond) made a point of complaining, or bragging, about his slow ride uptown on an underventilated A train. On a day of citywide transit woes caused by a freak summer storm, the idea hit home: this is how we roll too.
The crowd, however gratified, couldn’t have been surprised. Since their upstart beginnings more than a quarter-century ago, the Beastie Boys have made a sport of New York City references, with an emphasis on gritty detail. A few songs after Mike D’s subway comment, his colleague Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) dropped another one, in verse form:
“We’re doin’ fine on the 1 and 9 line/On the L we’re doin’ swell.”
No one seemed bothered by his utopian description, or by the fact that there’s no longer a 9 train (perhaps because he went on to say, “On the No. 10 bus, we fight and fuss”).
Nostalgia was what fueled the show, which had the Beasties decked out in suits and skinny ties, tearing through hits and obscurities with an anarchic and only faintly dutiful fervor. It was hot and oppressively humid in the park, and there were rumors, later confirmed, that the day’s troubles had involved a tornado in Brooklyn. Somehow these were ideal conditions for a hometown Beastie Boys extravaganza.
The group has a new instrumental album, “The Mix-Up” (Capitol), that reverse-engineers their typical sound, pulling back toward the 1970s funk, soul and dub reggae that constitute the roots of hip-hop. A handful of those tracks turned up in the set, with Mike D playing drums, Ad-Rock on guitar and MCA (Adam Yauch) on bass.
At times, most noticeably on “Off the Grid,” they got a welcome assist from the keyboardist Money Mark (Mark Ramos-Nishita) and the percussionist Alfredo Ortiz. As a shaggy but capable five-piece, they managed some likable grooves. Still, it wasn’t the best idea to line up three nonvocal numbers in a row. (You can only wish the best for the fans who flock to the Hammerstein Ballroom tonight for an all-instrumental set.)
The show worked best when it scrambled old and new: a smart strategy for a trio of brash adolescents who happen to be in their 40s. Some changes, like the catalog of stylish new beats underpinning “Brass Monkey,” came at the hands of their stalwart D.J., Mix Master Mike (Michael Schwartz).
Other changes were more contextual. Playing one of their protozoan hardcore tunes, “Egg Raid on Mojo,” the Beasties sounded older but not much wiser, which is just the misleading impression they probably intended.
Similarly, on “Sure Shot” MCA rasped a vintage lyric: “I’ve got more rhymes than I’ve got gray hairs/And that’s a lot, because I’ve got my share.” Combining a standard hip-hop boast with a comic admission, the line was pure Beastie Boys. And to their credit, it didn’t feel any more like an apology now than it did then.
The Beastie Boys perform tonight at the Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, Manhattan; (212) 307-7171, mcstudios.com.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/10/arts/10beas-600.jpg
The Beastie Boys at Central Park SummerStage, from left: MCA, Mike D and Ad-Rock.