Time to blog about another concert so expect another long ass blog! This time, it's going to be about the Common and N.E.R.D. tour, aptly named, "Seeing the Invincible Sounds of Summer."
Everything was pretty uneventful until the start of the concert. Me and my friend just go to get some food in San Mateo at this one Japanese corner shop around 2-3 PM. I get a Chicken Teriyaki bowl, he gets TWO Beef Teriyaki bowls, 'cause, well, he's gonna get high later with my other friend so he needs something to munch on, haha. We order our food, go to the asian food market right next to the shop and get some drinks. He ends up getting some big platter of sushi along with his drink. I swear, he's a human vacuum cleaner, except when it comes to noodles. That's his Kryptonite.
So, we get our Calpicos (if you haven't drank those before, try it. They're soooooooo good, especially the mango one), go to the front and pay up. We go back to the shop, wait around a bit for our food. We grab 'em, call my other friend so that we can come over and we drive our asses over there. We eat all that food there, play a little Brawl, then leave around 5:50 PM. We drive around the area for a bit while the two of them smoke and then we head to the South City BART station. Park the car, pay for our tickets, and the BART arrives just as we're walking down the stairs. Immaculate timing on our part. ;]
We get off at Balboa to transfer onto the Richmond train and get back on our journey to Berkeley. We get there around 7ish, take a look at the map outside the BART station and check which way to go to get towards the Berkeley Community Theatre. The place is only two blocks away from the BART station, so that's why we BART'd it. Plus, I know the area pretty well considering I've been there about five times.
While we're walking toward the high school (the theatre is on a high school campus, which I might add, IS HUGE), some girl drives by and asks us if there's any parking places around. We kinda just stare at her for a few seconds and slow-roll the answer because literally RIGHT BEHIND her was a parking garage. So, we're like, "Uhhh, isn't there one right there?" *points behind them* She's like, "OHHHHH, crap. Thanks!" Hahaha, she must've felt kinda dumb for that one.
Anyway, we're outside the place and then there's the obligatory guy asking if anyone has an extra ticket. My friend wanted me to slow-roll him and just stare at him for a few seconds, pretending that I did have an extra one, but the dude looked crazy and I didn't feel like dying tonight.
Oh, I just want to add that I'm with the same friends I was with at Rock the Bells, minus one of them because his sister's wedding was today. I wanted to visit for a bit but I got lazy. =]
We get on campus, walk around to the back to get to the auditorium, get frisked by security, show our tickets and find our seats. Lights dim around 7:45. Pretty good timing for a hip-hop show. The band starts to warm up a bit and then N.E.R.D. is up first, of course! Pharrell comes out with Chad, Shay and the rest of the band and the place went crazy. Pharrell throws up the Star Trek sign (you know, the V ish), so we're ready to goooooooooo.
They open up with Anti-Matter! The bass is insaneeeeeeeeeeee. You really felt that ish in your chest! The lights were going crazy as hell too. The vibe was just amazing.
After Anti-Matter, Brain was up. Again, the bass was SICKKKKK. I love that damn song. After Brain ended, Pharrell said for us to give a huge applause for security for all the ish they're doing tonight. We give 'em a huge hand 'cause they do deserve it. After the applause, Pharrel was like, "Okay, now that we gave them their applause, we're gonna do something different 'cause this is a N.E.R.D. show. I want everyone in the back to get in the aisle right now so we can do this shit hot." That's not exactly what he said, so take that as a paraphrase. He asks us to give another round of applause for security for allowing us to do that, so we do again.
After all that talk, Kill Joy starts up. After Kill Joy, Maybe is up next! Absolutely love that song. I think I missed a song in between Kill Joy and Maybe, so this probably isn't the full song list. Also, I want to add that the reason I remember all the songs that played was because I was making a On-The-Go playlist on my iPod as the tracks came on. Pretty smart, eh? =]
Run to the Sun is next and after that is Bobby James! Another one of my favorite N.E.R.D. songs. Fantastic song. Provider and then Sooner or Later were next. Pharrell starts talking about the fine ass ladies here on the West Coast after Sooner or Later ends and I couldn't help but agree. There were some fiiiiiiinnnnnneeee QT's in the room tonight. ;]
Pharrell was just vibin' with the people in the crowd a lot. He was reaching down to the crowd a bunch of times and everything. It was pretty sick.
Anyway, after he starts talking about the ladies, You Know What is up next! Probably my #1 N.E.R.D. song as of right now. I nudge my friend as it comes on because this is his favorite one too.
After You Know What ends, Pharrell starts asking the crowd how we're doing. Huge applause on that one. He then asks the people up top on the balconies how they're doing. He notices that two sections up there are sitting down and he's like, "Y'all need to stand the fuck up. This is a N.E.R.D. show! Only reason you're sitting down is 'cause you're cool. But see, the real cool people don't give a fuck if they're leaving here with wet shirts after dancing around and shit! If anyone calls you a slacker, tell them to shut the fuck up 'cause you were goin' wild at a N.E.R.D. show." Again, paraphrased, but that was gist of what he said.
So, after that rambling, Rock Star was upppppppppppppppp. Pretty obvious considering that huge rant and ish, right? Haha. So, after Rock Star, Spaz is up next.
Now, this ish started to get real crazy 'cause Pharrell grabbed some dudes to get on stage with him. I couldn't help but laugh 'cause these dudes were wildin' the fuckkkkkkkkkk out on stage. It was hella dope. After Spaz, these dudes were allowed back stage. Lucky bastards.
Pharrell goes on another rant about Spaz ends and this time he starts talking about politics. He's like, "So, you college students gonna vote in the next two months, right? Wait, this is a college right?" Hahaha, yeah Pharrell, this is a high school, but still, you're on point. Anyway, he continues. "Who the fuck y'all gonna vote for in the election?" Rousing screams of, "OBAMA!" Pharrell then goes on with a little story about how when N.E.R.D. first formed, there was a dumbass president in the White House (he's still there, if you don't get it). Starts rambling again about how the president is always saying stupid ish on TV and blah blah and then Pharrell goes, "It feels sooooooo realllllllllll, how I feeeeeeeeeeel, it's this society that makes a nigga wanna kill! I feel so ill, ridin' my motorcycle down the street, while politicians sound like BITCHES to me!"
OH YEAH, Lapdance is up sucka! Crowd goes insane. Bangin' song. After Lapdance is done, Pharrell starts pointing out some girls in the front. He wants them to get their asses on stage. He calls at least twenty or more girls on stage. I just look to my friend and say that Everyone Nose is up next, for sure. Of course, I'm right 'cause I'm awesome. Pharrell asks us to throw up our Star Trek signs again and then we start clapping to the beat of the song. Crowd goes insane again. Pharrell is vibin' with all the girls on stage, dancing around with them and everything. The whole thing was amazing. After Everyone Nose is over, we had to end it off good with all these girls there. She Wants to Move is their ending song!
The girls are just gettin' FILTHY on stage with the whole band and ish. Pharrell was especially vibin' with one chick in particular who didn't come up for Everyone Nose. He WANTED her on stage real bad. He kept saying, "Where that girl in the black dress with that BIG ol' booty?! Yeah, get her up here!" After the song ends, Everyone Nose comes up again but this time it's to the beat of the White Stripe's Seven Nation Army song. Kinda funny, since it seems everyone is using that beat recently. Rihanna used it at the VMA's too.
Anyway, the girls all get up there for a big group hug after everything ends. Basically, a big thank you to all of them that came up on stage for them. The stage starts to get empty and Pharrell gives a big thank you to us all. Whole thing ends around 9 PM.
Now, they start to clear out the stage and fix it for Common's performance. We're just chillin' in our seats, but my friends are hella hungry. No food to buy there though, only candy and drinks. I'm just vibin' to the music that they're playing as we're waiting for Common to come on. Some Pharcyde, some Mos Def. Definitely some good choices! Ms. Fat Booty came on and I just started clappin'. I didn't give a damn if I looked like an idiot or not 'cause that's one of my favorite Def songs. Lights dim around 9:30ish and there's another huge round of applause. I'm clapping like a damn seal 'cause this is why I came here. Common is definitely one of my favorite hip-hop artists of all time.
The stage looks soooo sick. It's like this whole club thing. There's a bar and everything. A broadway style sign was lit up in the middle that said, "The Zune Cooler Presents N.E.R.D./Common. Souled Out." Pretty dope stuff.
So, there's an opening in the middle of the stage which is essentially the entrance to the club. The bouncer is there letting people in (basically the band, the DJ, and two girls that were allowed back stage earlier), but he stops Common. As Common first appears, the crowd goes nuts! He's like, "Why won't you let me in? Don't you know who I am? I'm Common." Bouncer goes, "You a movie star?" Common responds, "Man, how do you not know who I am?" Bouncer eventually lets him in and Common starts it off hot with Announcement off his new album, Universal Mind Control (previously called Invincible Summer, but it's not Summer anymore, so yeah).
After Announcement, Common does a song that I've never heard before. I assume it was a new song off of the album. I forgot how the lyrics went already, but it was a dope song. After that song, Common walks up to the bar and talks to the one girl that was allowed on stage. Asks what her name is and asks if she wants a drink. "Lemme buy you a drinkkkkkk." T-Pain style, haha. Common then starts to talk to the bartender (another one of the girls that was allowed on stage) and says to give him some of that Goose or Hennessy. He said another drink, which is his favorite, but the name slips my mind right now. After he says he'll tip the bartender later, Go! comes on!
"On the count of three, everybody run back to your fantasy!" Oh my goshhhhhhhhh, I loveeeeeeeeeeeee this song. After Go! ends, he starts to talk about love. Now, since he starts to talk about love, I assumed that his classic song, I Used to Love H.E.R. is up next. Again, I'm right 'cause I'm so damn awesome. Isn't that right, Mena? ;]
Oh, also, he invited two other girls on stage before I Used to Love H.E.R. comes on.
So, after I Used to Love H.E.R. ends, it transitions into another song that I again haven't heard before. New song, I assume. Now, I'm trying to place exactly where another new song came up, because I hella forgot where it was. I think it was right after the other new song I just mentioned. N.E.R.D. came out and Pharrell did the bridge. I think the song was called Gladiator. After the new song, Come Close came on.
After Come Close ends, Common starts to talk to the two new girls on stage that he invited. Janelle and Lea were their names, I believe. Asked if they wanted drinks too, some other ish like what Janelle's sign (Virgo) is and stuff. Then he says he gotta go to the bathroom real quick. Walks through the center door thing in the middle of the stage and this audio track comes on. It's these two girls talking about Common and one girl is saying Common is wack and that he needs to do that autotune ish like T-Pain and do some Soulja Boy ish too (YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU or whatever the hell he says). Obviously some subtle jabs at them and how bad a state hip-hop is in right now.
Common comes back out after and Testify comes on! Great song. After Testify comes on, Common starts to talk to Janelle again, asking for her number, haha.
He walks up to the middle of the stage and goes, "Here's my number." Look at his phone real quick, BLAM! Universal Mind Control came on! I started wildin' out 'cause I LOVEEEEEEEEEEE this song. The music stops and he freezes like three times at certain parts of the song. You should know what I'm talking about if you've listened to it before. Like, he stops talking for two seconds and the beat kind of goes down in those two seconds. The whole performance reminded me of De La Soul's performance at Rock the Bells when they did Rock Co. Kane Flow. They basically did the same ish. =]
Oh, also, at the beginning of the third verse, Common started to breakdance! IT WAS SO SICK!
Next up after UMC was Get 'Em High! That song off Kanye's debut album, College Dropout! Common was featured on it, so that's why he did it. After Get 'Em High, Driving Me Wild came on. Another song of Common's that I absolutely love.
Now, there was another new song that Common did and I forgot where it was in the track list. It was called, The Eye and it features Kanye West. He basically started off the song by first looking at some girls in the front saying, "You were giving me the eye, weren't you? Oh, you too? Yeah, and you." It's a pretty sick song, be on the lookout for it.
I Want You comes on next. Not one of my favorites, but it's definitely a good song! After I Want You ends, the beat for Timbaland's song, Way I Are, comes on. I'm like, eh? It's only for a few seconds though. Then, Common says, "Let's take 'em back." The beat for They Reminisce Over You by Pete Rock and CL Smooth comes on next. I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited 'cause I thought he was gonna freestyle to it or something. T.R.O.Y. is one of my favorite hip-hop songs of all time and it should be one of your favorites too! After that, the intro to Be came on and he did the song.
After the Be intro ended, he looked at the bartender and said, "Damn, last call already?" I was kinda surprised 'cause I thought Common would be on longer (it was only 10:30 at this point), but I wasn't disappointed. Common says this is the last song. He talks to Janelle and asks if she wants to runaway to a BBQ on the beach tomorrow. Starts talking all about it and then another new song comes on. I believe it was called Runaway. It's another hot song, so watch out for it when the album drops.
As the song is ending, I get nudged by my friend so we can get outta there quickstyle before the exits start to get hella clogged. We're outta there in a snap, walk to BART, and get to the South City BART station around 11:30ish. Get dropped off at home 'cause I wasn't in the mood to do anything else (headache) and here I am typing up this blog.
It was definitely a bangin' show, albeit it was a bit short. It was nice to see N.E.R.D. again, for sure 'cause I didn't really pay attention while they performed at the Glow in the Dark Tour back in April. I was just yappin' on the phone with some friends that weren't able to make it. It was definitely worth the money to see Common also. He's such an amazing artist.
So yeah, for anyone that missed the show, I wish you guys were there. If they come around again in your area, go to the show! I bought the tickets for it and only two other people went with me! What's up with that?! Y'all need to seriously hit me up if you want to go for the next concert I go to.
Speaking of the next concert I'm going too... October 18th at San Jose State University - The Roots, Gym Class Heroes, and Estelle. I will be there as sort of a late birthday present for myself, since it's nine days after (Oct. 9th is my b-day). I know three people that are going with me for sure, but I want more people to join me!!! Hit me up or something if you're gonna go too 'cause I'm buying the tickets again.
I just noticed that I don't have ANY Roots albums on my imeem except for Rising Down! I gotta upload the rest of them later so be on the lookout for a huge upload drop.
Well, I'm done for now. This headache is getting to me really bad. Hope you guys enjoy these concert blogs I'm doing 'cause I sure as hell love doing them.
Hope to see you guys at the Roots concert on October 18th!
Peace!
-Ryan
