The P Return To Chicago!
Found out about this show a couple months ago from my 11 year old niece. She knows of my fanaticism for Thes One and Double K and was proud to be the first to tell me they were coming to Chicago. This would be my wife's first PUTS show as well. I scooped up three tickets for us and my homeboy, who we met up with at Flash Taco. For those not in the know, Flash Taco have the best after midnight, post show tacos in the world. Eating them any other time, not so much.
The first act was a local group named Highest Low. They consisted of a very energetic Hispanic emcee and a rather tall black emcee who was more laid back performing. Their set was nothing spectacular but dope nonetheless. They had a song that I took as a I play on ODB's "Brooklyn Zoo" which had their own interpretation "Brookfield Zoo" call and response with the crowd. I thought it would have been cool if they performed it over the "Brooklyn Zoo" beat. You can check out their music here: http://highestlowmusic.com/
The second act was a guy named Vic Spencer. He can be summed up with two words, Hot Garbage! He is the epitome of what is wrong with current hip-hop music. He would talk about how his music is dope hip-hop and it's all lyricism but NONE of the songs he performed represented what he proclaimed. Every time he professed his allegiance to "dope hip-hop" my homeboy and I kept looking at each other, shaking our heads and saying "nope, not buying it." I kept saying to myself that I love The P so much, that I'm willing to endure 35 minutes of this guy.
Midway through Vic Spender's act, I head upstairs to the merch table to see my heroes. I walk up, give Thes dap and re-introduce myself as esomedina from the message board. He remembered me! I take a step back, open my jacket and reveal my "I Pump PUTS" shirt. Thes points and shouts "OLD SCHOOOOL" and I thank him for coming back to Chicago. I ask to get a pic with him and Double K and head around the merch table. After the pic is taken The following conversation happens:
Yo, anything you want?.
I'll take a hat. $25, right?
Nah, for you, it's yours. You're old school, man. Been down with us for a long time
I head back downstairs sporting my new P hat!
The third and final act were People Under The Stairs who came out to thunderous applause. The venue had packed in more and Thes One announced they sold out (again). Thes was letting us know Double K has roots on the southside of Chicago and Double K said he came to Evanston when he was 13 and someone in his family bought him his first tape, "Quik Is The Name" which coincidentally was the first album I ever bought too!
They opened up with Selfish Destruction and transitioned into The Second Track. I don't remember the order of the set list after that as I was having too good a time. Some highlights include (not in set order):
The LA Song which included everyone singing "UGH...LA...CALIFORN-I-A"
San Francisco Knights where everyone flicked their lighters in the air. The place got bright!
Trippin' At The Disco had everyone signing "My city are you with me, trip around the floor and get busy, got the kids stone tripping at the discoooooo"
Montego Slay which started the "AWWWWWWWWWWWWW...sh!t" that carried on throughout the rest of the show, no matter the song. If I remember correctly, Chicago was the place they first tried out the "AWWWW sh!t"
Tuxedo Rap
Acid Raindrops The crowd went berserk for this song. Insane.
LA9X which prompted several repeats of the "You're Mama's so fat, how fat is she" call and response.
Creepshow where Thes appeared to looking at some imaginary person while rapping. Scary! lol
Up Yo Spine the crowd got excited at the "WooHaa" part
The Double K Show with Double K rapping while on the turntables
The Suite For Beaver (Part 1) They only performed a short snippet of this song.
The Breakdown I forget which song they were performing but the beat switched to this one and Thes rapped a different song over this
Too Much Birthday they brought on stage a guy named Alex, whose 21st birthday it was. Dope!
Beer man, I love this song. "If you don't like Beer, then get the f*** outta here!" This included a treat with Double K performing "Tales of Kid Drunkadelic" at the end.
Here's a video I took of "Beer" where I was standing along the left wall:
http://youtu.be/6pFrwmGZ-3g
(apologies for the blurriness at times)
I forget which song the show ended on, but as they were walking off stage I started chanting "One More! One More! One More!" Not sure if that's what everyone else was chanting, could have been "Encore" or whatever. Thes made it off the stage and Double K got about halfway before getting back on with Thes shortly following. It was a staged exit/return but still cool to think we urged them back on. They did this awesome routine where Double K is on the turntables and Thes is on the vintage drum machine signing. Blew my mind. My wife turned to me and said, "WOW!"
After that, Thes asked for one last request to end the show. I was shouting for "Talkin' Back To The Streets" but they ended with as Thes stated, "The first song they ever recorded," which was "Time To Rock Our sh!t"
MY GOD!
I lost my voice shouting Thes' verse. Then the end. TIME TO ROCK OUR sh!t!
Headed back up to the merch table to give props for another show. Pick up the HIghlighter double vinyl LP which Thes and Double K sign for me. We strike up a small conversation and Thes thanks me for being down with them for a long time. He even remembered when we first met during a show where it snowed like crazy and their plane almost ran off the runway in 2006 or so.
These dudes are nothing less than awesome. It's that personal touch that endears me to them. They are so approachable and are sincerely thankful of us fans. All I can say is:
No, Mike and Chris, Thank you!
Here's pic of the shirt I wore, hat I got and double vinyl I picked up:
