Live Blogging: The Best Reunion of 2009

...in rap. So far. Not counting Em, Dre and 50... Anyway, until that final UGK album comes out the Voltronesque reconstitution of Reflection Eternal - conscious rapper Talib Kweli and producer/DJ Hi-Tek - has got us all misty eyed for the era of Clinton interns and relative financial security that was the late-90s. Kweli and Hi-Tek were joined by a four piece band last night at the historic Blue Note jazz club in New York and will play there again tonight before taking their act to Austin for SXSW and finishing up their third disc as Reflection Eternal due out this summer.

A play-by-play of last night's broo-ha-ha:

10:50pm
The band assembles on stage. The show is sold out so I'm having some trouble picturing what it all looks like from the back corner of the bar where I've been instructed to stand.

10:56pm
Did Talib Kweli just name check Joy Division? I suppose weirder things have happened.

11:01pm
First shout out to the bar. I totally cannot see the stage. I can, however, see this portrait of bassist Jaco Pastorias by the door.


11:06pm
Two songs in and only an hour and twenty minutes away from going home and watching a good hip hop band.

11:11pm
"This is only our second show with the band, we're still getting used to it." In other words, "Sorry all you chumps who paid $30 to sit at a table."

11:14pm
Requisite shout out to Talib's mom who's come to the show. She's front and center (I have to assume since I can't see her).

11:19pm
Talib Kweli just quoted The Princess Bride. I'm baffled.



11:26pm
I'm not sure Kweli has the breath control to deliver his jumbled run-on sentence raps anymore.


11:30pm
Did I just order a drink too loudly? This is not your average concert experience. Revelation: my grandkids will be able to see Snoop Dogg's oeuvre performed at the Metropolitan Opera.

11:38pm
Res joins the band on stage and busts out a killer vocal solo. I hope she gets a nice spike on Amazon if and when people ever connect her to Santigold who wrote and executive produced her thoroughly overlooked album How I Do from 2001.

11:43pm
The band actually sounds pretty tight. Highlight of the evening so far: the
Res-assisted version of "The Blast".


11:49pm
I attempt the silent drink order: Raise eyebrows, point to empty beer
bottle, extend hand with money.

12:02am
The set ends. Finally.

12:05pm
I bump into Talib outside of the bathroom (he doesn't have his own?). We clink glasses before he retreats to his dressing room. A plate of fried shrimp is immediately ordered for him and I'm nearly trampled to death by backpacker fan-boys.