2001-08-16 - 2:37

Two times stronger on half of the power

What was I saying about life being a series of concerts? Tonight turned out to be the latest surprise entry in that series.

Today was also notable as the first time that I've ever been on a motorbike in my life. Greg recently has his bike shipped here from New Brunswick, so today my ride to work changed from the Grand Protege to a Ninja. That was interesting. I can now see some of the appeal that Nick knows about, although I'm sure that the passenger's perspective provides a rather different experience from the driver's.

While I was at work, I took a break after lunch to check a few web sites, including Buck 65's. I scanned through the news and found out that Buck was playing a show in Ottawa . . . tonight! I got on the horn and confirmed that it was true and got myself downtown after work.

Although the first time that I saw Buck was actually on even shorter notice, the lack of planning meant that I ended up going solo. That was a bit of a drag at first, since I felt typically isolated when people were milling about before the show. As always, though, I felt great when the music started.

I arrived fairly early, so I had some time to kill. The concert was being held in a funky artist-operated gallery. That meant that there were a lot of cool, young artist types hanging around and some neat pictures to check out. Once I had seen what was there and after I started to feel self-consciously alone, I decided to go for a walk before showtime. Walking around the Parliament buildings on a beautiful summer night is nothing to complain about.

When I came back, a DJ named Fat Mike had some grooves going. There was no real body movement in the crowd, but the beats were cool. The floor space at Gallery 101 was very small and the equipment wasn't the best, but the atmosphere was great.

The fact that it wasn't a regular club meant that the people who showed up were true fans of the music. It's also a different vibe when you see the organizer of the show and he's just another guy your age wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt. Main acts Buck 65 and Sixtoo were hanging out at the front through most of the night, having a good time. The whole event had a very friendly community atmosphere between the artists and the fans.

After Fat Mike worked the turntables, a three man MC crew took their turn. I must be getting old, because they looked very young. I was surprised by both their impressive rhymes and their songwriting. Their creativity and (sometimes self-deprecating) humour definitely went over well with the crowd. Unfortunately, their name escapes me; but I'll dig it up. They certainly deserved their place in the lineup.

Next up, Sixtoo got the main event rolling. I have one of his CDs, but this was my first time seeing him live. I didn't recognize his songs, but I loved his set tonight. He displayed strong rapping and a very likeable attitude.

Speaking of attitude, Buck 65 was totally laid-back tonight. Following an inspiration, he got everyone in the crowd to sit on the floor while he worked the mic. That turned out to be a cool idea, since everyone was able to chill out on a hot summer night. Buck is impossible to dislike, although I will say that I'm glad that I also caught his April concert.

The poor equipment that I mentioned earlier kept him off the turntables and he spent more time tonight working in snippets of a lot of songs, rather than kicking the full jams. However, he certainly had his moments--I loved the food song and "Kiss My Ass"--and his whole routine was a lot of fun.

Buck also didn't need to carry so much of the night on his own this time, since Sixtoo was there. In fact, after Buck's set, Sixtoo showcased an instrumental project that he has in the works. That was interesting, especially when it turned into storytime, with Buck and Sixtoo trading crazy stories. ("How many people can say that they got rabies because of their love of hip hop?")

The night ended with open mic MC freestyling, bookended by two hilarious Sixtoo pieces. The audience participation definitely added to the fun, as it had earlier when a few people were breakdancing to Fat Mike's work.

Between the performers, the setting, and the fans, tonight's concert had an unusually laid-back and friendly vibe. It felt more like a house party with friends than a concert; and it was a party that everyone left with a smile.

If only I knew how to breakdance . . .

J.