Turn It Up, Bring The Noize

Friday night I had the opportunity to see Public Enemy perform at the Garrick in Winnipeg. I came across my ticket last minute. I wasn't sure what to expect. Now if you are thinking, "Is that the Hip Hop group?" Yes it is.

There were two opening acts, a local act and a touring act. They were both fairly good. The main act hit the stage around 1130pm and played until about 120am. They played all the hits, at least the ones I knew. They were good. They talked too much between songs but they are getting on in years and the thermometer on stage said 107 degrees F. That is hot no matter what you are trying to do.

I was surprised by the crowd. I expected to be in the minority being a white guy in his 30's. That was a significant part of the crowd. A lot of the crowd looked like what you would think a music geek would look like. I'm actually quite encouraged by this. It shows that if you are good at what you do your appeal goes beyond your anticipated audience.

Chuck D and Flavor Flav are both very good at what they do. Flavor Flav is more animated on stage but I think Chuck D lays down the rhymes better. They are still politically charged and angry at the establishment. Their message has not changed in a long time. They no longer make headlines but they stand behind what they say.

Looking back I am very glad I went to this show. It is not a typical act for me to go and see, but I was entertained and they do have some important things to say. If you get a chance to go see a performer that you may not normally consider, do it. You may be surprised at what you see.