Roots, Dreck, Reggae for Spring Concerts
According to a Shanghaiist post Thursday titled, “Holy Shit! The Roots Are Coming to Shanghai!, China West Entertainment announced in an email that Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots will play an April 16th show at Shanghai’s Yun Feng Theater. I’m not sure if this warrants a “holy shit!” but I guess it’s pretty cool. I think it’s more deserving of a “holy moly” or a “holy cow.” The 6-piece live hip-hop band will also be performing in Beijing on April 17th. China West also announced a March 27th Ziggy Marley show and a March 29th Kenny G. concert, both at the Yun Feng Theater. The three shows are part of what people are calling a watershed year for live music in China. Rumor has it that Sonic Youth, Bon Jovi and Linkin Park will all be rocking China in 2007. But back to The Roots. I saw The Roots at the Area One Festival in Camden, New Jersey back in 2001. For those of you who don’t know Camden, it’s a total shithole about 5 minutes from The Roots’ hometown of Philly. All I had heard about the Roots until then was how “sick” they were live. And whenever someone talks about how “sick” The Roots are live, that someone is usually a fratboy who thinks that liking The Roots means he is a hip-hop aficionado. As someone who had never seen them before, I was genuinely excited to see them perform. So the Roots did about 6 songs in front of a hometown crowd. Not only did their set bite, I witnessed a Philly-bred audience basically boo them off the stage. No joke. And then Outkast came out and made The Roots look like a bunch of kids rapping at a Sunday school talent show. I’m gonna go see The Roots in Shanghai, don’t get me wrong. But more because I want to see a rap show in China and less because I think it it will be a reflection of my jazzy, soulful hip-hop side. I’m way more excited for Ziggy Marley. As for the Chinese, I’m betting, upon reading Thursday’s announcement, many of them said to themselves, “Holy Shit! Kenny G. Is Coming to Shanghai!”
•Shanghaiist: Holy Shit! The Roots Are Coming to Shanghai!