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The entire seven-piece band freezes on stage and the lights go dim. Lead Emcee Black Thought — wearing a UMaine hoodie — begins to move among the lifeless figures of his band mates, beckoning applause from the crowd.
Like flicking a switch, the band comes back in with their signature groove: quick, funky bass lines, breakbeat drums and soulful melodies. The Roots are a hip-hop band at heart, but their sound, stage presence and swagger have more to do with funk greats James Brown and Tower of Power.
The legendary Roots crew rocked a sold-out crowd in the Field House on Saturday. The feel-good vibe was inescapable as audience members swayed to the band’s music. The Roots work within a defined sound, but no one else sounds like them. Their groove was so innocuous and entrancing, the 90-minute set seemed to flash right by.
Boston-based openers Re-Up got things started around 8 p.m. with their own brand of funky hip-hop. The band was full of talented musicians — eight of them took the stage — and with a similar style to The Roots, they were able to get everyone in the mood as the last audience members piled in.
Re-Up failed to do anything to wow the audience, but were a passable opening act. Frontman Cliff “Spliff” Kuhn-Lloyd’s vocals were hard to hear — a combination of sound limitations and his guttural voice — but pretty catchy. The band could have done without Owen Ross’ self-indulgent guitar solos, but the horn section and turntablist Keith “Keef D.” Dickerhofe added an amazing edge to their sound.
The most striking element about the band was that none of their clothing styles matched. There was West-Coast stoner, frat brother, ironic hipster and some just dressed in normal clothes. This didn’t necessarily detract from their appeal, but did very little to give the band an image.
When The Roots took the stage, the crowd erupted. Black Thought emerged into a single yellow light spitting fire into the mic over Questlove’s drums and Tuba Gooding Jr.’s brassy bellows.
Guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas looked like a black Keith Richards, and commanded the stage with his incredible presence and golden Les Paul. His hair was almost as wild as his guitar playing and singing, his high vocals a perfect complement to Black Thought’s voice.
The best part about The Roots is that they feel like every soul sample all rolled into one band. Instead of most hip-hop artists who cut beats ripe with old R&B records, The Roots play these ’60s and ’70s classics in real life, with a modern spin.
According to Vice President of Student Entertainment Pat Nabozny, there were 2,988 tickets sold, the legal limit for the venue. He said the show was a great success despite some frustrations with security.
“I asked the tour manager if there was anything we could do better and he said, ‘If the band is on for 90 minutes, they’re having a good time,’” Nabozny said.
Andrew Downey, avid fan and creator the “Bring The Roots to UMaine” Facebook group said the band “rocked it as usual.” According to Downey, who has seen the band multiple times, they played a pretty typical show.
“When I see them at colleges as opposed to regular venues they usually play more toward the college crowd,” Downey said. “They do more recognizable songs, they do more of the rocker stuff.”
The crowd erupted when The Roots went into covers of Guns and Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine” and Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” It seemed as though there was nothing they couldn’t do.
Downey said that the crowd was great and he saw a lot of people there he had never seen before.
“There were a lot of different ages there too,” Downey said. “My parents were there, a couple of my other friends’ parents were there. I saw a little kid actually, he was like 7 or 8.”
For their encore, The Roots brought out their hit single “Seed” and the audience was eager to sing along. Throughout the night it was obvious The Roots knew how to put on a show. The choreographed dancing was a great touch — especially as Tuba Gooding Jr. bounded around with the heavy Sousaphone. The musicianship and professionalism was unrivaled.
The return of The Roots to UMaine was much overdue.
Bangor Daily News