2001-04-12 - 3:34

Buck 65

A whole lot can happen . . . I got a call around 7:00 tonight from my brother Jason. For whatever reason, we aren't much for phone calls. It was cool to talk again, though; now I'm getting psyched for making a weekend trip home.

The reason that he was calling was to tell me that I should go check out a concert tonight by a Nova Scotia hip hop artist called Buck 65. I had never heard of the man, but I've never known the Chooch to steer me wrong; so, with Aaron and Loralei along, I went to the Babylon Night Club.

The warm up duties were handled by a pair of DJs, who kept things going for a couple of hours. They had heads bobbing and toes tapping; but nobody was on the floor. Once Buck 65 hit the stage, though, everything picked up. It wasn't a huge crowd, but it was fairly enthusiastic; and Buck 65 was excellent.

Without resorting to hip hop cliches, Buck 65 kept a solid pace, working in material as old as '88, all of which came from a unique perspective. As the DJ and MC (and also the producer of his albums), it's all up to the man's own skills and personality. And he displayed both tonight.

The skills were evident in the way he deftly worked the turntables and kept the rhymes smooth from start to finish. His personality came across both in his lyrics, with topics such as the provincial baseball championships and food, and in his charismatic stage presence. Confidently in control, yet with an obviously relaxed and down to earth attitude, he created a mood of pure fun for an appreciative crowd.

After ending a fantastic set, Buck 65 stayed to sign autographs and meet some of the crowd. Although I didn't have anything to sign, I congratulated him on the show and we talked for a couple of minutes. He said that he noticed my Onion T-shirt while he was playing and we shared our appreciation for the site. Very cool.

Aaron and Loralei had to split a little early, so I bussed/walked home. It was nice to get out in the night air again. The weather has warmed up enough that you can get away with a T-shirt and no jacket at night. The recent sunshine has me in a good mood lately, looking forward to hopefully having a real summer this year.

My only complaint is that the fast food places close too early where I live. As a general rule, I avoid them, anyway; but it would have been nice to snag some food after the show. I could've eaten downtown; but then I would've had to go for a later bus. Waaaah! Heh.

Ah well. I'll have to call my brother tomorrow and tell him that he was on the money with the recommendation. I'll also try to put my fast food craving in storage for a week and a half; and maybe he and I can snag some barbecue chicken pizza in Halifax in a week and a half. (They don't know how to make it in this town, at all.)

All in all, it was an unexpectedly cool day.

J.