What's your favourite song as a show opener?

[Kid Presentable]

I think Super Disco Breakin

[Brother McDuff]

yeah, that's a nasty one.

i saw them open with "son of neckbone" a coupla times on the gala tour which was pretty boss, but I think the glasgow footage alone proves the ferocity of super disco breakin as an opener. (y)

[dave790]

time for livin on the last tour was just a great way to kick off. so much energy. and, as i'd managed to avoid setlists prior to the gig (brixton 07), there was a slight surprise element.

[Rodie]

Ive only seen them once but they opened with eggman. I was in shock and awe

[Laver1969]

Big props to Super Disco Breakin'. Still get the goosebumps... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLQmB_fGSY)

[JasonP]

Stand Together is an underrated opener.

[BangkokB]

Stand Together is an underrated opener.
When & where? That's Knock Out Track. Not calling you a liar but they rarely play that much less open with it.
Wish they did

Then Yauch went from there to "A Year & Day"

[LuciferHam]

Its Yours

[Turchinator]

the pulled No Sleep Till out of a rabbit's hat in '04 at the Long Island show

[dave790]

When & where? That's Knock Out Track. Not calling you a liar but they rarely play that much less open with it.
Wish they did

Then Yauch went from there to "A Year & Day"

plenty of gigs on the check your head tour. i have a few bootlegs from that era, it opens every one of them after the intro. if not, it often seems near the front. Reading 1992 opened with Slow and Low and then went straight into Stand Together. Nice!

[Kid Presentable]

Stand Together is an underrated opener.

I think it's rated appropriately; amazing, when they had the energy to pull it off.

[BangkokB]

plenty of gigs on the check your head tour. i have a few bootlegs from that era, it opens every one of them after the intro. if not, it often seems near the front. Reading 1992 opened with Slow and Low and then went straight into Stand Together. Nice!
Thanks for that and I hope I didn't come across as an asshole. '92 they played Center Stage Atlanta but I didn't have a ticket (small venue). I heard them open with To All The Girls(Choice Track) then had no idea what they played next cause like I said I was outside. I then got wise and went downstairs to the parking garage and heard them play "High Plains Drifter"(The Bass was Nuts and that's from being on the outside), "A Year & a Day" and Yauch & MD did "Finger Licking Good" Acapella Style were the stand out tracks before me and my bud got kicked out. Good Times.

I remember some schmo got scammed on bootleg tickets for $125...And they ended up being Paula Abdul tickets. Me and my bud ended up moving there a few months later ATL '92

[dave790]

Thanks for that and I hope I didn't come across as an asshole. '92 they played Center Stage Atlanta but I didn't have a ticket (small venue). I heard them open with To All The Girls(Choice Track) then had no idea what they played next cause like I said I was outside. I then got wise and went downstairs to the parking garage and heard them play "High Plains Drifter"(The Bass was Nuts and that's from being on the outside), "A Year & a Day" and Yauch & MD did "Finger Licking Good" Acapella Style were the stand out tracks before me and my bud got kicked out. Good Times.

I remember some schmo got scammed on bootleg tickets for $125...And they ended up being Paula Abdul tickets. Me and my bud ended up moving there a few months later ATL '92

nah not at all, i wasn't even there, at least you actually were! just from the few recordings i've heard / seen from this era, stand together is right up there. it's a really good era - i've definitely got a finger licking good recording around where the second verse is completely acapella as you say. it's unreal everytime. and going back to stand together, it's nice - if logical - how they divide the vocals and add the 'STAND TOGETHER!' chorus in... as i said, comes across as a great opener (albeit following the to all the girls intro).

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Stand Together and Sure Shot.

[camo]

Big props to Super Disco Breakin'. Still get the goosebumps... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLQmB_fGSY)

Yeah that show was soooooo tight.

I reckon the lisa lisa/full force routine could be an awesome opener for the future...

[Nomen Nescio]

Glasgow was pretty damn awesome.

[laurie_hammy]

On a Beastie's return concert I think "Pop Your Balloon". After that, surprise me. Would be crazy.

[Kid Presentable]

I reckon the lisa lisa/full force routine could be an awesome opener for the future...

Yeah fully

[pm0ney]

They opened up with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" the last time I saw them at Nassau Coliseum and that was pretty fucking unbelievable.

[WesleyOHSnaps!]

On the Ill Com tour they opened up with The New Style in Oakland which to this day stands out as the best fucking thing.

I love Super Disco Breakin' as an opener, saw them do that in Cleveland

here in San Francisco on the Gala tour they opened with Time for Livin' and then the next night they opened with it again at the Greek in Berkley

I can't remember what they opened with at Bill Gram during the to the Five Burroughs tour or at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in Golden Gate Park, Nor the Atlanta show during Hello Nasty.

Hmmm....

[Guy Incognito]

i have no idea what they opened with the first time i saw them cos it was sunday afternoon at a festival and i was a bit bollocksed. it may have been slow and low but cant confirm. 92 was that year.

I saw them again in 2004 and they did root down first although i had to look it up. I have just found out who the support was, we got there just in time for them to start and i never bothered to find out who the support was and it was talib kweli. *regrets not getting there earlier*.

[HAL 9000]

Big props to Super Disco Breakin'. Still get the goosebumps... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLQmB_fGSY)


Wow, that is one of my favourite shows, not watched it in a while though. It's funny, I remember when I first watched that (I think it ran on MTV a lot in the UK in the early 2000s) I thought the boys were starting to look a little old for the rap game.

Now I look at that clip, they look so young!

Thanks for posting that!

[Laver1969]

Wouldn't mind seeing them open with this oldie but goodie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7M7d8u40I4)

They actually dusted this one off back during the meathead side of the Gala Tour in Toronto 2007... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP5uJnjARH8

[Rey Pygsterio]

Slow and Low

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Gotta say Super Disco...

[adrock1988]

Super Disco is always great opener!!! Jimmy James was good too in Amsterdam 04'

[JoLovesMCA]

Super Disco. Mainly because the opening rhymes are perfect to get the crowd going!

I think Lisa Lisa would be a great opener at future shows!!!!

[Sesamehole]

I've probably seen Sure Shot and Super Disco Breakin' the most times as openers. I think it's best to open on the mic and the one's and two's rather than instruments. I did see them open with Off The Grid in Santa Barbara and it wasn't even a Gala Event. I've also seen them open with Gratitude and that wasn't bad but not as good as Sure Shot or maybe Root Down. Personally I feel that it would be bold and awesome to open with Sabotage which the ALWAYS end with.

[Nicodemus]

Cleveland '98 - they opened with THE MOVE. It worked, but man, SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS would blow my freakin' mind if they started with it. SDB is great too!

[Bernard Goetz]

Jimmy James 1992 Roseland Ballroom NYC

[Extra Cheese]

Super Disco Breakin without doubt. funny enough, i feel that this song is out place and doesnt fit in anywhere else.

[BangkokB]

Jimmy James 1992 Roseland Ballroom NYC
Correct me if I'm wrong on this but that show was also the only time they've played their juggernaught track "Professor Booty" albeit not up to Yauch's verse(which is a powerhouse).

The Jimmy James floating around Youtube now is neutered and watered down. I'd love to hear a grand return to the Great Track it once was where they all participate.

But, be that as it may, I'd just like to see them make a return to BKK period. They've been here all of once from what my due diligence can find. This being a country of 40+Million people, they are long overdue for another hurrah.

[Rodie]

They actually tried Professor Booty at one of the more recent shows.... I really hope they bring it back when they resume touring.

[BangkokB]

They actually tried Professor Booty at one of the more recent shows.... I really hope they bring it back when they resume touring.
Did Yauch play his hand? If so that's top and tits!

[Bernard Goetz]

Jimmy James 1992 Roseland Ballroom NYC
Correct me if I'm wrong on this but that show was also the only time they've played their juggernaught track "Professor Booty" albeit not up to Yauch's verse(which is a powerhouse).

I'd like to think I'd remember if they did do it, since Professor Booty is the undisputed champion of all Beastie tunes in my mind, but since it was 1992 and I was stoned stoneder stonedest 99% of the time, maybe I just forgot.

[BangkokB]

Yea, I know. But let's face it: Stoned is the Way of the Walk

Here's what I propose: They come back full on and full force playing all those Sabatoge/Intergalactic beat up songs for the masses. A Toure de Force if you will. The songs that Parents would bring their kids to.

Wait a week or two then Smash, Boom, Grab...Pull off the Greatest Tour that the FANS would go crazy style to hear.

Nothing from LIC but Rhymin & Stealin', TTGI(Original Style) , Almost everything from PB(Shadrach start to finish), CYH: You bet, IC: The Forgotten Favorites(Scoop, Alright Hear This), HN: Dedication nothing else, TT5B Nothing, New LP: Let it Rip: It Rocks

But the long and short would be to play songs that they've long orphaned that the fans still love with Passion. And not * reinterpretative* soulless version but stand outs like Sounds of Science.

[romanpetr]

Super Disco is always great opener!!! Jimmy James was good too in Amsterdam 04'

Amsterdam's Heineken Hall was rocked by Jimmy James! Yeah,that's was amazing....I remember...(y)

[Turchinator]

Slow and Low


that was a particularly splendid opening at the Gimme Shelter Benefit at HIRO Ballroom 2006 in NYC...

[Kid Presentable]

And not * reinterpretative* soulless version

Like Shake Your Rump, which has become a shadow of its original self over the years.

In Melbourne they opened with Egg Man. That would be awesome. For some reason I think Posse in Effect could be a slick opener. I heard they opened with New Style in 06-07 (those club-ish shows). That would have been dope.

[senbei]

Tadlock's.

[Kid Presentable]

Tadlock's.

*Like* although I could see it being Say It

[Bernard Goetz]

I've always had this fantasy (<--is there a less awkward word for shit you make up about shit you like?) of them opening with Funky Boss, full-on band, then putting down their instruments and picking up their mics as the intro to Pass The Mic explodes...

[cj hood]

LBF for the comeback show....it's like f' yeah, we're back!!!

(have them come out 1 at a time to do their verse....and make MCA's last. crowd would go ape shit!!!)

[Kid Presentable]

LBF for the comeback show....it's like f' yeah, we're back!!!

(have them come out 1 at a time to do their verse....and make MCA's last. crowd would go ape shit!!!)

My VMAs scheme is similar - Adrock and MMM out there, Adrock twerking and tweaking the 'TMR' synth, MMM drops the beat and introduces Nas, D drumming along until he gets up off the trap kit to do the hook with Nas and Adrock (who is off the synth, now it's all coming through the turnies) - dramatic pause - hook - another dramatic pause - like a Nexus 6 completes the puzzle. meh gaylord pipedream but oh well