They say the best things in life are free. I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement, with the exception of Grieves' free performance at Cyclomesa last Friday.
Grieves is a Seattle based hip hop artist currently signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment. Growing up Grieve's prominent musical influences included rap and blues artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Gangstarr, D'Angelo, and Al green. It shows in his records which include various mixes of smooth singing and vicious rapped verses. Grieves has been grinding at his musical career nonstop since his first independent release in 2007. Last March he released his newest record, Winter and the Wolves.Now on his North American Winter and the Wolves tour to support the release Grieves is bringing his unique style around the states again more refined than ever.
Taken by Tom Woodward
The show itself was a fairly intimate experience as far as live concerts go. A small stage set in the street along with Grives' laid back attitude made for a pretty casual experience. Asking after finishing his first song "Do you guys always hang out in the street here in Mesa?" Grieves came not just to entertain, but to hang out with us in the crowd. Still a polished performer Grieves makes ample use of the stage connecting with the fans front to back, left and right. Moving with energetic finesse he makes sure not to take himself too seriously, giving a comical jig and asking "You guys like my bad ass dance moves?"
Taken by Tom Woodward
You have to love a front man who can make you laugh. Throwing a mention of his unique musical background into the mix, Grieves tells us "Your parents boned to John Legend all the time! I bet some of y'all are here because of John Legend!" he also references an old D'Angelo music video featuring the artist all but naked saying "Your parents thought loved that s***" hecontinues the comedy asking one fan with a girl on his shoulders "Can you feel the butt on your neck?" Grieves even jokes about his own show as he thinks aloud after finishing a song "Let's see we did the "put your hands up!", we did the "band turn the crowd up!", we did the slow song, we did the "I'm gonna drink a beer" and then I did..."" it's always refreshing when an artist can throw some humor into their set.
Taken by Tom Woodward
But Grieves had more to say than jokes alone. He speaks on negative feedback he's received online stating "If people liek that were looking to make a difference in this world they wouldn't be at home on their computer talking s***" Later in the set Grieves gave us a personal thank you for our support, saying "There wouldn't be us without you" Staying true to this point Grieves made time to meet fans after the show at his merch booth
Taken by Tom Woodward
One of the best parts about Grieves' show that separates him from the other hip hop performers is the live band. Mirroring his musical background, Grieves is accompanied by a mix of his recorded beats and two live musicians on this tour. Their contribution adds to the experience one usually gets out of a run of the mill hip hop concert with backing vocals and interchanging instrumental accompaniment. Given that Grieves' music includes a unique mix of synthesized and recorded instrumentals its nice to see him bring it with him on the road too.
As for song selection the set list was a crowd-pleaser for old and new fans alike. He managed to touch on most of my less popular favorites as well as the fan favorites. If you get a chance to see the show yourself, you'll get a good spread of tracks from all of his past releases, but with no shortage of songs from Winter and the Wolves. Grieves certainly knows how to pick and choose his set list with the audience in mind bringing the varying slow and high energy songs to the stage.
Tickets for the tour are a steal at less than $20. At the show you'll find cheap copies of all his releases to date including some vinyl records. With the quality performance, cheap merchandise, and a potential opportunity to meet the man himself, it's definitely a show you won't want to miss.
Recently The Used dropped their highly anticipated album "Imaginary Enemy". Now I say "highly anticipated" in spite of how cliche it is because the release of the record really did have a lot of fans eager to see if it would live up to the hype. Hype rightfully generated in no small part by the release of their single "Cry" which was well received. The track assured some long time fans that The Used hadn't lost the angst that drew us to the music in the first place.
When an originally edgy band manages to stick around and mature, there's always the concern that the music will go soft. Mixed reception considering this concern was seemingly generated from the band's previous releases "Vulnerable" and "Vulnerable II". However with this new release I believe its fair to say The Used has taken some steps back into their grungy, raw roots. Singer Bert McCracken is very intentional about incorporating the old hardcore elements. On the second track "Cry" he makes a direct reference to a track from their self-titled album, "Buried Myself Alive" resurrecting the lyrics "if you want me back you're gonna have to ask nicer than that". The throwback is made even more nostalgic as Bert sings the lyrics clean initially but quickly transitions into a hardcore delivery accompanied by the equally gnarly guitar.
"Evolution of the Heart"
posted by The Used's
Facebook page,
credited to @trent_sim
Another clear sentiment in reference to the band's bast comes from the album cover. Resembling the cover of their 2004 release "In Love and Death" the new release's cover features another constrained heart. However we see the heart is now more developed and refined. What a perfect metaphor for the progression of the music and the artist.
Also present in the record are heavy political themes. From the cover alone its clear The Used has a lot of new ideas to bring to the table lyrically. The reception of this political theme has been fairly mixed. Critics of the band's political message find it cliche, predictable, gimmicky, and ultimately hollow as the ideas expressed are vague. For others like myself the political stance adds some new spice to the music. I mean, how much can we realistically expect for a band to make the same record over and over again anyway? The change in lyrical content keeps things interesting, which for me was a plus.
Musically The Used introduced some more pop elements throughout the synthesizer instrumentals, gang vocals, and catchy choruses. This seems to have been an equally risky move as the political stance as fans have mixed feelings about the sound of the record.
All and all I'd say its a record worth picking up. The band stuck to its strengths while still showing their maturity as artists. For anyone expecting to hear an album identical to one of their earlier records, you will be disappointed. But with a more realistic outlook this new release has a lot to offer and hey, the deluxe edition is on sale at best buy for twelve bucks. Decide for yourself if The Used still has it.
