"Grieves & Budo, and Sweatshop Union brought the house down in Minneapolis."
The Main room at First Ave is one of my favorite venues in the universe. Not just because of the history which it represents, but because of the unique energy that can be found within. Last Saturday night that energy was on full display. Grieves and Budo, as well as The Tribe & Big Cats and Sweatshop Union, brought the house down.
I admit that going into the concert I wasn’t very familiar with Sweatshop Union. I’d heard the name before, but I hadn’t heard the music. That being said, I was impressed with their live set. Some artists do their best work in the studio, which is fine, but it’s great to see one of those lesser known studio artists put on a great live performance. This is especially true with hip-hop, since the concert is only as good as the energy coming from the stage (and being reflected by the crowd). The Tribe & Big Cats built on that solid early buzz with a typically killer set, and by the time Grieves walked on stage the crowd was hyped.
From the jump, it was obvious that Grieves and Budo love performing. There was no warm up. No forced crowd participation BS. A quick smile, an appreciative glance around the packed house, and off they went. This guy can rap. Not only that, but he clearly loves it. Moving back and forth with a cool confidence, Grieves worked the crowd like a pro. I think the reason this fact sticks with me is that he seemed genuine about it all. When he said “I’ve been waiting so long to play this venue, in front of this crowd” (paraphrasing), I believed him.
Budo’s production had the speakers bangin’, but it’s important not to go too overboard with the bass. Best to stop at bone-rattling and not delve into the realm of eardrum-popping. The addition of some live percussion, multiple guitars and some horn parts really fleshed out the show and displayed the versatility of everyone on stage. Still, even after all that, it was the constant roiling energy which permeated the show that made it great. Even local favorite Prof made an appearance, to a pretty sizable roar from the crowd.
By far the biggest hit of the night was “On The Rocks”, off the duo’s startlingly successful Together/Apart. That album marked Grieves’ first appearance in the Billboard top 200. After seeing his live show, observing his demeanor and watching him command a crowd, I sincerely doubt it will be his last.