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01 March, 1998
Live Review
Meat Beat Manifesto
Electronica Hannuka
DJ Shadow
Crystal Method & More
Martime Hall, San Fransisco California
December 12, 1997
Reviewed by: Jacob Jarnigon
In association with the Funky Idiot
Tribe
performers (in order of appearance ) are:
Kimo ( DJ )
The Sneaker Pimps
DJ Shadow
Josh Wink ( DJ )
The Crystal Method
Keoki (most terrible DJ I have ever heard)
Meat Beat Manifesto
Tony
No U Turn
First off, this show was $30. It was the
most I have spent on a concert in the last year and a half. Most concerts I go to now are
usually under $10 and improvised live. Why did I do this you ask? Well the answer is
simple, I wanted to go back to the "old days." I wanted to see 2 acts that
interested me slightly; DJ shadow ( I heard one song that amazed me), and Meat Beat
Manifesto (who I have been a fan of for many years). When we went into the Martime
Hall they didn't even "frisk" us. I found that strange since it was such a high
profile concert -- good thing too, I managed to bring my cassette recorder in (along with
my deadly laser pistol).
There weren't as many people there as I
expected when I approched the main stage. There was a guy DJ'ing when we came in, (I am
guessing it was Kimo). He was playing house/techno stuff. It's very funny
to see people so impressed and amazed by DJ's. A couple people were hovering around him
bobbing their heads. What is so impressive about these kinds of DJ's? Like " Oh WoW!
-- Did you see how he mixed that song !!!!!!", I just don't understand it. This guy
DJ'ed for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. As he went on more people hovered around him. I was
very hungry so I bought 2 Snickers bars & a big salad. it was either that or some very
unapealing looking chicken legs. I went downstairs to another room titled very poorly
" the chill room". A small room with a dancefloor with more live DJ's. When I
first went in there was a female DJ playing drum & bass music. First time I have
actually seen a live female DJ.
I went back upstairs to see if DJ
Shadow was setting up. He was setting up like a wierd small little stage in the
corner away from the main stage. Then to my suprise the Sneaker Pimps came
on. I never heard them before, but my impressions of them were another "garbage"
sounding alternative band. The really didn't fit in to the others, aside from one analoque
synth and a drum trigger pad.
DJ Shadow had
already started to find the correct place in his records. So I started to move over there.
I expected it to be better than the average DJ performance because he had a couple of
samplers, sequencers, and FX units along with his turntables. The music was good. I really
couldn't fully enjoy it because the music was coming in only from the right. The reason is
because he played perpendicular to the main stage. He was a very talented
"scratcher" with the turntables, which he did on top of sampled drum beats and
bass lines. On one particular track I could have sworn it was the organ melody from
Phantasm sampled over some hip hop beats. Funny to hear people say "fuck it up"
during a live show, because I have not heard that in a while. It's also funny to hear
everybody cheer when a certain song comes on because it had radio play (which I just
figured because I don't listen to 105.3). During his set he threw a few records out into
the audience -- and after he played he walked out into the audience, right next to where I
was standing. I really knew that the rest of the concert probably going to be bad, (except
I a was anticipating Meat Beat), so I wanted to make my $30 worth it. I
noticed that DJ Shadow was a little pudgy, so I thought " Why don't
I let him know ? So I waited in line to talk to him. When I was up , I said; "DJ
Shadow , you are really really fat " he said; "Hey thanks man. "
(shakes my hand). As I walked away I realized my mistake, he though I meant " phat
" the slang term.
Then my friend spoke to him too, I
couldn't make out what he was saying because the music was too loud, but I saw him make a
wierd motion with his hands. As I realized he took it way too far (exact quoted dialogue )
"Hi. I think you gained a little weight" - my friend
" Really ? I just lost a lot of weight " - DJ Shadow
" Well I think you should stay away from the buttermilk, also mabye a little bit of
the stair master", (makes walking up stairs motion with his hands) - my friend.
"Yeah I'll try that, I'll try that, thanks man " DJ Shadow.
( guard pushes my friend out of the way )
That right there was worth the $30,
unlike all these other "people" who asked for a simple autograph, we gave him
something to remember and contemplate about, his own weight. I didn't even pay any
attention to Josh wink because I was downstairs sitting in the "chill room"
listening to another DJ , the first time I heard a DJ's record skip every 2 minutes.
Crystal Method
came up, 2 guys with a couple keyboards and samplers. I heard their album at a record
store that didn't impress me at all. At this point the bass was just getting way too low.
That with the thick cigarette and machine smoke created an [heavy] indestructable wall. I
also had a cold and sore throat so I think all that made it worse. To me Crystal
Method sounded like more heavy Chemical Brothers but a little
less coherent. It was just all meshed together. the idiot keyboardest would like pick up
his keyboard and get aggresive with it to add some energy to the performance which was
alot more stupid than entertaining. The only thing that kept me a little entertained was
the use of electro type synth sweeps on top pf everything. I had an enormous headache at
this point because of "the wall" [of smoke]. So I just kind of tuned out and
plugged my ears for the rest of their set.
Next up was Keoki.
I heard his album at a record store, and it was one of the worst things I have ever heard
in my life. It sounded like a little
kid getting a keyboard for christmas. Even more people were amazed by his DJing this time.
I just don't get it. He wasn't even good for a DJ. He kept
missing the bars and he was off on a few mixes too.
Immediately when Keoki stopped Meat Beat Manifesto
started on the main stage. They were
all wearing orange jump suits. This time they only had 3 people vs the 4 [people] that I
saw last time. A drummer, guitarist, and Jack twiddling knobs &
playing drum pads. The opening song was just some jungle beat with heavy bass, sounded new
to me. Then they played "The Edge Of No Control" which was just so
incoherent it wasn't even good. Then Jack (being the complete idiot that
he is) accidently started up the jungle beat from the first song again. [Next], they
played some really alternatvie sounding song with guitar and drums and Jack
singing. I really felt awful at this point. With the combination of the, wall of smoke,
bass, idiots, moron in front of me who kept screaming" Beat your meat
!!!!" and " spark it up , smoke it ", and my illness I just had to get out
of there. I ended up leaving at 1am (and I definitely
wouldn't have stayed till 4[am] even If I could).
I don't think I'll be buying
anymore of Meat Beat Manifesto after hearing the new more alternative
full band line-up they have now, but mabye I'll check out some DJ Shadow.
I also forgot to mention the type
of people that were there. everybody there was a either a gangsta raver (with puma,
adidas, or any other jersy on) or
your normal disguisting teenage smoking alternative fan.
Remember this - the best concerts
are always the most inexpensive. I will remember never to pay this much for a show ever
again.
Reviewd by: Jacob Jarnigon
