Live @ The Hot House

OMAR
Live @ The Hot House
Chicago, IL 2004

"Making Sense Of It"
"Music"
"Outside"
"I'm Still Standing"
"Syleste"
"Everybody Loves The Sunshine" (Roy Ayers)
"Interlude"
"Be Thankful"* (William DeVaughn)

"Little Boy"
"This Is Not A Love Song"
"Golden Brown"
"Saturday"
"Essensual / Band Introductions"

I WAS AT THIS SHOW!

This was my second time seeing Omar live in concert, and both times were at one of my favorite music venues, The Hot House on Balbo & Wabash. It was one of the most intimate music spots in the city. Shame they couldn't stay open. From Fertile Ground to the All Natural crew, it was fantastic. The stage was just a few inches off the floor and the artists were RIGHT THERE! Listening to this song, you could tell how involved the audience was. You could truly feel the music hitting you due to how close you were.

If you haven't been to an Omar show, consider this your ticket.

* Please take notice of Omar's background vocalist Chris Ballad on this song. Amazing!

The Roots Come Alive

The Roots "You Got Me" (f/ Jill Scott)(Live) // MTV $2 Bill Show (2002)


Live from Washington D.C.

Chaka Badu

Rufus f/ Chaka Khan "Tell Me Something Good" (Live) // Rags To Rufus (1974)


Erykah Badu "Stay" (Live) // Erykah Badu Live (1997)

Black Moses 1942-2008

The legendary Isaac Hayes was more than just "Shaft". He was more than just a staple of Stax Records or the hip hop sample we heard in between the beats. Isaac Hayes' music represented every black neighborhood in America. From the the ghettos of Los Angeles to the borough's of New York, Black Moses told tales of love, black pride and promise. He was true Blackness personified through music.

If you have Netflix, I highly recommend watching the documentary Wattstax (1973). It's Chappelle's Block Party except they replaced Dave with Richard Pryor.

"Walk On By" // Hot Buttered Soul (1969)


"Ike's Mood" // ...To Be Continued (1970)


"The Look Of Love" // ...To Be Continued (1970)


"Hung Up On My Baby" // Three Tough Guys (1974)

Summer Madness

Kool & The Gang "Summer Madness" (Live) // Love & Understanding (1976)


Continuing our LIVE IN CONCERT series here on HSD, here is one of my father's favorite songs. And while I'm mentioning my father and Kool & The Gang, I have to remember to say the following:

"You know Kool isn't the lead singer right?
Everybody thinks he's the lead singer. Kool plays bass."

Not that Kool & The Gang comes up often in conversation often, but you can bet anytime it does my father will say those words. He wants everyone to know the TRUTH! He wants the right man to get the right credit. It's a common mistake, but Robert Bell "Kool" is the bass player. A lot of people mistake J.T. Taylor for "Kool", but he didn't arrive until 1979 (and the cut "Ladies Night).

D'Angelo Live (1 of 3)

One Mo' Gin" (Live)

Brown Sugar" (Live)

I'm showcasing this brotha because there isn't anyone in R&B music today that can put on a live show like him. Nobody. And he hasn't dropped an album in eight years! I missed the Voodoo tour the first time it came around, so I only have my audio ticket for access this well put together performance. "One Mo' Gin" was part of the first few shows but was later dropped from the show. It's a shame because this is the definitive version of "One Mo' Gin".

Don't get me wrong, the studio version is great. Fantastic even. It's one of the reasons Voodoo is such a strong album. But when the Soultronics got a hold of this song on the road, they killed it. They took it to another level. Again, this song further showcases what I love about live music. D and the crew took a 5 second portion of the song and stretched it out to 5 minutes just to groove (right around 5:18 or so).

Al Green must be proud.

Talib Kweli Live

Talib Kweli "Shock Body" (Live) // Quality (2002)


I'm not big on Kweli's studio albums (although I've heard really good things about Eardrum), I will always put money down to see dude perform live. Always! I've seen Talib twice in concert and both times he gave me a show that was well worth my ticket. I dug up this song from the audiogalaxy days (who remembers that?) and thought it would fit with this months theme of live music.

Kweli performed this song before his first solo album Quality dropped in 2002. When I first heard it I was MAD hyped for the album. While Quality was decent, the album version of "Shock Body" was a disappointment after hearing the live rendition. And when I think about it, there aren't a lot of good live hip hop songs out there. THIS is one of them. Kweli attacks the mic with a ferociousness that is unseen in hip hop today. I wish he would mentor his Blackstar partner. I've heard Mos' live show is horrible.