*In the interest of full disclosure: I know that concerts are not video games. However, the Beastie Boys are a part of nerd culture, and therefore, gamer culture. Beastie Boys Live in Concert Place: Festival Pier at Penns Landing, Philadelphia PA Date: August 1, 2007 Because she is an awesome individual, my wife got us tickets to go and see the Beastie Boys in concert last night. Just for a little background, I have been a Beastie Boys fan since I first got my hands on Licensed to Ill way back in 1987 (fifth grade... good times...) In the intervening years, the arc of my own maturity has matched (or possible been influenced by) the maturity of the Beasites as musicians and artists. Licensed took partyboy antics to a mainstream audience, spawning a beast that still has yet to be killed (Kid Rock and Fred Durst are proof of this sad early legacy) With Paul's Boutique they set the blueprint for how music would sound for most of the nineties- lots of bass, lots of samples. Then they picked their instruments up and came up with Check Your Head, showing that rap doesn't have to be just a DJ with MCs, and proving that rock/soul/funk can go hand-in-hand with hip-hop. Ill Communication and Hello Nasty were the culmination of what they learned musically on the early efforts combined with a social consciousness that their fans and critics could never have guessed at. They talked about Tibet, they apologized for their past mistreatment of women, they showed their audience what it meant to be men, while still being amazing artists. With To the 5 Boroughs they wrote an 11-song love letter to New York City, using the kind of old-school hip-hop that (unfortunately) few rappers utilize anymore. And then in June, they dropped The Mix-Up on us, proving again that they are genuinely talented musicians and songwriters. The only other time I've seen them live was in '94 as part of the Lollapalooza line-up. Great show, but last night had more promise since it was the Beastie Boys with no opening acts, no second stage, no nothing else. So, needless to say, I was beyond psyched for the show. The tickets said eight, and we showed up at about five till, not knowing that they wouldn't take the stage until nine. It was a standing room only, outdoor venue at the end of a 90 degree, 90% humidity day. So... I was sweaty. But the intervening hour gave me a chance to check out the full stage set-up. They had the obligatory disco ball, as well as a giant mobile, each panel of which was a high-def TV screen. There were also projection monitors on either side of the stage. The funny thing about waiting an hour for a show to start is people thinking they know when the show is starting. The light guy runs a test on the spots: people go nuts. The sound guy turns up Bel Biv Devoe's Poison to test the bass: people go nuts... But enough about that, on to the show itself. In a word, WOW! Ad Rock, MCA, Mike D., Mix Master Mike, Keyboard Money Mark and Alfredo Ortiz came out in full suits: jackets, tie, and hats. Well, Mike D. didn't have a hat on as he has grown himself out a fairly impressive afro. Nope. Not a wig. I had the idea to text myself the set list, knowing I was going to be writing this review today. They launched into Heart Attack Man and moved right into Remote Control and Live at PJ's, with Mike D. jumping around the stage like a hyperactive pogo stick, Ad Rock rocking six strings, and MCA laying down sick bass-lines. Then they put down the instruments and grabbed the mikes. Ad Rock dressed to play. What followed was a night of classic hits (No Sleep till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey, and the perennial sing-along Paul Revere), party favorites (Super Disco Breakin', Sure Shot, and Triple Trouble) as well as instrumental breaks, both old and new (Sabrosa, Shambala, and B for My Name). The Beastie Boys, now in their 40s, prowl the stage like men half their age. And without a doubt, no one was having more fun at last night's show than the Beasties themselves. Leading the crowd in the ubiquitous rap call and response ("Somebody say, 'Ho!'") was one thing, but I got great joy from listening to the way they have morphed their song lyrics in order to meet their new sensibilities. For example: in the song No Sleep Till Brooklyn, the lyric on the album was, "MCA's in the back cause he's skeezin' with a whore" which last night became, "MCA's in the back with a Mah-jong board". And then there's Mix Master Mike... Mix Master Mike was switching up the beats, mixing up the samples, and basically keeping the entire crowd (and the Beastie Boys) guessing. If you've never heard MMM's solo work, pick it up, and you have some idea of what he was up to last night. Here's the final word: it was an incredible, amazing, fantastic show. If you have the chance to see them on this tour, I highly recommend checking them out. COMPLETE SET LIST Tough Guy Remote Control Live at PJ's Super Disco Breakin' Sure Shot Brass Monkey Triple Trouble Shake Your Rump Time for Livin' Gratitude Off the Grid Sabrosa Body Movin' Pass the Mic Paul Revere Root Down B for My Name Shambala Egg Raid on Mojo The Maestro Posse in Effect No Sleep Till Brooklyn 3 MCs and 1 DJ Ch-Check It Out So Watcha' Want ENCORE Intergalactic Heart Attack Man Sabotage Pictures copyrighted to Thomas Collins from uwishunu.com