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Shoreline Amphitheatre, San Francisco, California, United States of America (2001)
Moby's tour clicks with fans at Shoreline
BY TONY HICKS
Contra Costa Times
At face value, it would seem that Moby's touring Area: One show -- a seven-hour celebration of hip-hop and electronic music -- wouldn't survive the road for long, if only because no one has ever tried anything so grandiose with what amounts to a touring rave.
It's not like another Lollapalooza, which blended genres but still was supported by big-name rock acts.
Then again, who would have thought that someone like Moby -- essentially an electronic composer who excels at writing grand six- to eight-minute thumping instrumentals -- would be able to bring many thousands to their feet for 90 minutes on any given night?
Moby seems to know something the rest of us might not: There's a demographic of 18- to 32-year-olds out there truly into the idea of real alternative music.
The bands Moby brought to the Shoreline Amphitheatre on Tuesday were edgy and (mostly) good live. There were experimental hip-hop (the Roots), melodious electronics (New Order, featuring new touring guitarist Billy Corgan, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins) and a straight flame-throwing crowd pleaser (OutKast), along with a tentful of top-notch DJs.
After a repetitive and pointless set by guitar-and-beats opener Rinocerose, the Roots were superb, applying vocals, electric piano, bass, guitar and steamrollering drums to a raw mix of hip-hop beats and jazz-inspired backgrounds. Songs such as ``The Next Movement'' were powerful. They also were a bit hard to follow. But that's OK. Part of this tour's aim is to expand horizons.
Still, it was New Order who emptied the DJ tent. The band, largely invisible over the past decade, sounded fresh and grabbed attention from the start, and only partly because Corgan was onstage.
New Order unleashed an inspired parade of its '80s hits -- ``Blue Monday,'' ``Bizarre Love Triangle,'' ``True Faith,'' and ``Love Will Tear Us Apart'' from its days as Joy Division -- and looked to be having so much fun (with singer Bernard Sumner bouncily imitating an aerobics instructor) that one had to wonder why it has taken this band so long to come back.
Then came OutKast, like a force of hip-hop nature born from the spirit of P-Funk. Leader Andre was wrapped in some sort of one piece, bright blue circus outfit under a blond mop -- keeping him visible at all times among the up-to-a-dozen people who were all on stage at once.
Things worked remarkably well for such a big production -- which peaked with ``Miss Jackson,'' ``Rosa Parks'' and the rapid-fire ``Bombs Over Baghdad,'' which just about laid waste to the stage -- and OutKast clearly received the biggest crowd reaction.
Indeed, Moby should have slotted himself before OutKast, because afterward he barely had a chance. Oh, he tried, all right -- the guy is a hyperactive blur onstage: He plays piano, congas and guitar, orchestrates a fantastic laser and light show, and says all the right things, bringing to the proceedings a dry humor worthy of an expert cocktail party host. He even brought a fan up to the stage to enjoy the thrill of playing power chords in front of thousands.
Hits like ``Bodyrock'' and ``Southside'' didn't necessarily suffer from the sci-fi show surrounding them. But the whole thing was a bit disorienting at times, and it was Moby's set that made it clear that there is still some question whether a big-venue, onstage rave can work without a dance floor. That's the question Moby will have to tackle before embarking on Area: Two.
Source: San Jose Mercury |
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