 | Spotlight : N*E*R*D, Kelis, and Spymob |  |
N*E*R*D, Kelis, and SpymobThe Showbox. Wed. June 12, 2002. 7:00pm All Ages ShowBy: Sirion Sewell - sirion@seaspot.com Doors opened at 7:00pm. Being the Very Important Person that I am, I received star treatment and didn't need to wait in line. This was my first time attending a concert at the Showbox. I was pleasantly surprised yet also a little let down at the interior of the venue. But all was good. There was a mixture of hip-hop heads, rockers, skaters, adults, kids and all types of people. We all came together for one reason, to enjoy great music and have a good time. We all waited anxiously for the show to begin. There was a large turnout for such little promotion. D.J. Michael Antonia was spinning the cuts. The wait was about 2 ˝ hours. To pass the time we ate, drank (not alcohol), mingled and cut a rug. Spymob was the opening band. They were a four-member group from Minneapolis, MN. They were average looking white boys with soul. To sum up their sound, I would have to use a few choice words: eclectic slow rock and contemporary grunge funk. Their set lasted about 45 minutes. For everyone not knowing who they were, they sure represented themselves well and gained the respect of all in attendance. We were definitely groovin' to their music. They're album will be out soon on The Neptune's' label, Startrak. The title song is "Sitting and Keeping Score." With one last song and the clearing of the set it was time to become a N*E*R*D. In case you didn't know, N*E*R*D (No one Ever Really Dies) consists of 2 members of today's hottest production team, The Neptunes and their good friend Shay. Spymob assisted N*E*R*D and played back up for them. Shay and Pharrel were minus one N*E*R*D, Chad, who was back home in Virginia with his family. However, his absence didn't affect their performance, they were in full force. Pharrel noted that when you come to one of their shows that it's like a talk show, because they're going to talk to you. They sang many songs from their album, In Search Of… Hits such as "Brain", "Truth or Dare", "Lap Dance", and "Rock Star" moved the crowd. When they jumped, we jumped. When they moved, we moved. And when they screamed, we screamed. It was a great experience. During "Truth or Dare", eclectic soul stress, Kelis happily joined them on stage. Kelis also preformed a funky song entitled "Junky" and her newest single " Popular Thug". One moment during Kelis' performance, she stood directly in front of me, gazed into my eyes and sang to me. She was so beautiful and her voice was like heaven. Kelis had great stage presence and backed her you know what up. That girl can dance. N*E*R*D played a song from their new album called "Locked". The song is about a relationship Pharrel had with a girl who wanted to keep it "Locked" away. Before they sang "Locked" Pharrel asked if anyone had a video camera or a recording device. If we did, he advised us to turn it on and bootleg it on the Internet if we wanted to, because after all we liked breaking the rules. I am a true R&B and rap music fan at heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. It wasn't geared at a specific type of audience, it was for all walks of life who could appreciate good music. After returning from a short break, N*E*R*D rocked the house with a couple more songs and a medley of hit song guest appearances. This was a concert from the heart and for the world. If you were there, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you missed the concert, I'm sorry, but nothing can replace the feeling we all felt, but you can pick up their c.d. entitled "In Search Of… and you can get a preview of what we experienced. If you don't get the album you're cheating yourself. N*E*R*D is in a genre all unto itself. Its totally different than anything that you've ever heard, its funky, hip hop, rock, in your face, positive, feel good music. Song Performance List:
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