Concert Review: Star Wars in Concert, 7-17-10, Verizon Center

As geekfests go, one could do a hell of a lot worse than catching Star Wars in Concert. The name pretty much sums it up, but allow me to elucidate. Imagine a laser light show with a full symphonic orchestra playing against a backdrop of scenes from all three, grumble, "six" Star Wars flicks narrated as it went by none other than Anthony Daniels himself.

But wait, there's more! If you're willing to dole out a few additional ducats, you could get the extra special VIP jobbers that entitled the purchaser to a SPECIAL FREE TEE SHIRT AND BLANKET!!! i could pretend like that wasn't a big deal, but let's be honest with ourselves, of course, it was. i paid to get on the floor, but couldn't go that extra mile for the freebies myself. i'm pretty sure i could have beaten up most of the pre-teens who attended, so i probably could have walked with some free schwag of my own, but that would not have been very Jedi, now would it have been?

On top of the music, they also had a pretty decent traveling museum, filled with costumes and set pieces. Oh, and of course, more geeks in costume than you could shake a lightsaber at. You couldn't swing a dead tauntaun by the tail without hitting someone dressed up like a Sith. i could keep going with the aphorisms, but i think you get my drift.

My sole complaint was what i considered an over reliance on the first three movies. Seriously, they couldn't have focused on some of the more iconic moments? Well, that, and i'm almost positive that during one of the many montages, they showed Greedo shooting first. We get it, Lucas. You're not going to back down from the apocrypha, but does that mean you've got to keep shoving it down the zealots' throats?

Or is this just me exposing my inner nerd? i think the accompanying picture pretty much proves that's outer, kids.

May the Force be with you. Always.

mp3: Cantina Band 2 (John Williams from Star Wars - Figrin D'an And The Modal Nodes)

mp3: Mos Eisley Spaceport (James Hill from Ukulele Force: Star Wars Best Covers)

mp3: Fett's Vette (MC Chris from Life's a Bitch and I'm Her Pimp)

mp3: Luke's Advice (DJ Yoda and Mark Hamill from The Amazing Adventures Of DJ Yoda)

Old Skool Review: Biz Markie

You may not immediately think "Renaissance Man" when you consider Biz Markie, but that's just because you're ignorant. Let's review the facts, shall we? While he started off as some kid on the corner beat boxing for Roxanne Shante, the man has had one of the longest, if not most successful, careers in all of hip-hop-dom. He has played opposite Will Smith in Men in Black II, has starred in numerous commercials, created dance crazes and even taught our brats to make the music with their mouths on Yo Gabba Gabba! For a mush-mouthed MC originally from Savage, Maryland, the man has managed to hold onto the spotlight for more than two decades now. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

For better or worse, even if he weren't one of the original premiere beatboxers of his or any other day, his indelible print still would be stamped on the rap world for his part in Grand Upright Music, Ltd. vs. Warner Bros. Records, a landmark case that essentially stated all future samples on any record must first be cleared by the original artist. Biz sampled "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan, and the judge decided that was a no-no. (Ah, to be back in the days when any and everything was sampled, semi-legally. Good times, good times.) Having one of the earliest rap tracks to chart on the Billboard Top 10 for "Just a Friend" doesn't hurt his standing any, either.

All this from a guy who's first big hit was about picking his nose. Go off, Biz. Nobody beats you.

Tell me this guy wouldn't be your coolest uncle, and i'll call you a liar.

mp3: Just Rhymin' with Biz (Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie from Long Live the Kane)

mp3: Me Versus Me (Biz Markie from The Biz Never Sleeps)

mp3: Nobody Beats the Biz (Special Marley Marl Remix) (Biz Markie from Goin' Off)

mp3: Haunted House (DJ Yoda ft. Biz Markie from The Amazing Adventures of DJ Yoda)

Oh, and guess who's on the Fresh Fest bill for March 19 at DAR Constitution Hall? i hope the Missus didn't already have plans for us, 'cuz we gots some now.

Fast Break Breakfast Raps

On-going LET favorite Passion of the Weiss did it again recently, introducing yours truly to a damn fine MC by the name of Danny! In a kush addled haze, I distinctly recall him posing the question, "Who else rhymes about breakfast?" I took that clearly rhetorical musing, of course, as a direct challenge to put together a brief mini-mix of rap songs specifically about the alleged "most important meal of the day."

Of course, upon re-reading the post just now, there obviously is no such question posed, rhetorically or otherwise. But I still have a mini-mix of breakfast raps here, so you're gonna take 'em, and you're gonna like 'em. Along with real food, it's part of a well balanced meal. Or something like that.

To get things started, we're going with the original culprit in this whole thing, Danny! As Passion sagely points out, any song with the lyrics “fuck rhyming about a broad, rhyming about a necklace, rhyming about some sex, I’m rhyming about my breakfast” obviously deserves to kick things off. Next in the line-up is an older jam I've dug for years, "Milky Cereal" by Ladies Love Cool James himself. For those of you old enough to have been around, do you remember when LL did his unplugged performance on MTV? To this day, the one thing that sticks out most in my mind is the screamingly blatant deodorant pits the guy was sporting. As I attempt to return from that tangential line of stream of consciousness, I'll point out that LL uses the names of various cereals as euphemisms for what essentially is one of his trademark sex raps. Following that, Biz Markie does what Biz Markie does over a smooth beat by the always excellent DJ Yoda. Afterwards is the track that drove me coo coo for Cocoa Puffs for both Murs and DJ Z-Trip. This track is as much about watching 80s cartoons as it is about breakfast, but that simply makes it that much more awesome and amazing, right? I possibly should have stopped there, but I found I simply couldn't, so sue me. "Bitties in the BK Lounge" by De La Soul really only opens with a line or two about breakfast before going on to describe an encounter with less than helpful BK workers. Wait for the second half, though, when the argument starts between the manager and Shoshana. That's comedy gold right there, kids. And that, I would hope, should be enough to fill you up for now.

mp3: Scrambled Eggs (Danny! from Dream, Extinguished)

mp3: Milky Cereal (LL Cool J from Mama Said Knock You Out)

mp3: Breakfast Cereal (DJ Yoda ft. Biz Markie from The Amazing Adventures of DJ Yoda)

mp3: Breakfast Club (DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs and Supernatural from Shifting Gears)

mp3: Bitties in the BK Lounge (De La Soul from De La Soul Is Dead)