the roots - live performance question

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ive never seen the roots perform until this evening* - you can chalk that up to them always having expensive tickets, even in their hometown - and i noticed that they did a quasi medley set of other artist songs. [crazy in love, planet rock, push it, something dylan, stairway to heaven, rappers delight]

is this fairly common for them? if not, ill tell you what i thought. if so, your thoughts.

* the performance was in honor of the inaguaration of the new president at the university of pennsylvania - they are amy gutmann's favorite band?

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i've seen them numerous times over the years (nothing in the past 3 or so) and they've always had the same show. there's always a medley (different songs than the ones you mentioned) and they always do that one song where it gets quiet and they bend down close to the ground and as it gets louder they stand up more.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

i saw them once a couple years ago and such a medley was the highlight of their set. the best part was when they did "Pass The Courvoisier" and Black Thought did Pharrell's "woo-oo-oo" part surprisingly accurately.

― Al (sitcom), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:40 (twenty-one years ago)

They were certainly doing it earlier this year when they played with Jean Grae and friends in Boulder. Both nights. loads of fun

― lemin (lemin), Thursday, 14 October 2004 05:41 (twenty-one years ago)

What's the web address for questlove's blog, if anybody knows it?
Someone here posted an extract from it the other week, but didn't include an address.
Thanks.

― M Carty (mj_c), Thursday, 14 October 2004 06:27 (twenty-one years ago)

what're your thoughts, maria? you can't just say you have some but leave them out...

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

they did "back in black" during each medley the three times i saw them a few years ago.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, it's an integral part of the routine (along with instrumental solos, and a touch of beatboxing). A good show, consummately professional, and you certainly get yourmoney's worth (ie it's too long).

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I love that song "Something Dylan" - not sure who originally did it but it's sociologically relevant and damn folky.

― bling bling, Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

they always do that one song where it gets quiet and they bend down close to the ground and as it gets louder they stand up more.

That's good shit though!

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 14 October 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah they always do that medley thang. At one of the shows I saw they did a medley of the same song (can't remember which!) but in a half dozen different styles: reggae, metal, country, etc.
Tickets have been pretty reasonable to the shows I went to. Don't remember paying more than $20. Last time I saw them it was free!

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

What's the web address for questlove's blog, if anybody knows it?

I got the impression that extract was from a message board, not a blog (okayplayer, I'd presume)

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:34 (twenty-one years ago)

do they perform the cody chesnutt single that they reconfigured at most of their performances? theyre playing at my college and this is the only song by them that im with

― aaron_spelling, Friday, 15 October 2004 10:43 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

Who the fuck is playing sousaphone for the Roots??

― Jordan, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 15:57 (eighteen years ago)

I saw them in March with the horn section and they referred to him as "Tuba Gooding Jr.", no idea what his real name is.

― Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago)

The part of the show where they did like a rock power trio with ?uestlove, the guitarist, and the sousaphone player doing basslines, was awesome.

― Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago)

"Tuba Gooding Jr.",

That just sucks.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)

I'm pretty sure he's not a New Orleans guy.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:09 (eighteen years ago)

a) does his silly nickname suck or the fact that he's referred to primarily with a silly nickname?
b) why does it matter whether he's a New Orleans guy? I don't remember them referring to their horn section as an authentic New Orleans brass band or anything like that.

― Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago)

a) his nickname sucks, and I'd like to know who he really is (I guess the difference is that a rapper using a psuedonym is probably going to use that name whatever record he's on, but a musician who does other stuff is more likely to use his real name?)

b) It doesn't matter, but 1) New Orleans has more great sousaphone players per capita than anywhere else, 2) the Roots spent some time in New Orleans and got to know some brass band dudes, like To Be Continued, so they're aware of it, and 3) I know most of the New Orleans guys, so that's why I'm guessing he's not from there despite 1 & 2.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:22 (eighteen years ago)

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