The atmosphere at the sold-out and jam-packed Grawood on Friday was exciting and celebratory. About half way through their set, Three Sheet started jumping up and down like excited kids on Christmas morning as they chanted "we're opening for Shad, we're opening for Shad..." Both performers seemed genuinely excited to be there; Three Sheet performed with insatiable energy and made some exciting announcements while Shad wore a giant shit-eating grin through out the entire performance.
The Grawood, Dalhousie's student pub, was as frustrating as it was enjoyable. As always, the crowd was full of first-years, as older students seem to develop a healthy phobia of the venue. And though a sea of drunk 19 year olds might be the nightmare of anyone over 20, the acts that the Grawood has been booking this year make it hard to stay away (such as Fred Penner, Mother Mother, The Arkells, etc, etc).
Three Sheet, a local hip hop collective, started the night with their trademark frenetic energy. Three Sheet, as they reminded us a few too many times, has no samples, loops, or drums, instead all of their beats come from the incredibly talented beatboxing-machine of a man, EMC. The addition of guitarist Ryan O'Quinn and bassist Kevin Tilley turn this potential gimmick into an extremely unique and organic sound. Their frontman Expedyte and resident crooner Vanessa Furlong are intimidatingly talented and so full of energy that it can be exhausting just to watch them. Three Sheet is a force to be reckoned with and it wouldn't surprise me if bands are chanting "we're opening for Three Sheet" in the near future.
The last time I saw Shad was at the Squamish Music Festival this summer. His performance there was lethargic and sluggish making his line "the only thing I love more than rapping is napping" way less funny. But on Friday night, Shad ripped up the stage better than Nicholas Cage can chew scenery, with an ear- to- ear grin permanently stuck on his face. The crowd ate it up, loudly singing along with songs and crushing in close to the stage in violent adoration
. When Shad launched into his classic, The Old Prince Still Lives At Home, the crowd knew almost every word and one fan managed to sneak her way on stage, lyp-syncing every word right beside Shad, until a security guard pushed her back into the crowd. Yaa I Get It became an aggressive anthem, and the flurry of pop culture, literature, biblical, and sport references and rap disses were hurled at the crowd with astounding speed.
The combination of Three Sheet and Shad at the Grawood made for an exciting show that displayed the growing health of the Canadian hip hop scene. It was easily one of the best shows I've been to in Halifax thus far and was probably one of the best acts the Grawood will see this year.
Three Sheet, a local hip hop collective, started the night with their trademark frenetic energy. Three Sheet, as they reminded us a few too many times, has no samples, loops, or drums, instead all of their beats come from the incredibly talented beatboxing-machine of a man, EMC. The addition of guitarist Ryan O'Quinn and bassist Kevin Tilley turn this potential gimmick into an extremely unique and organic sound. Their frontman Expedyte and resident crooner Vanessa Furlong are intimidatingly talented and so full of energy that it can be exhausting just to watch them. Three Sheet is a force to be reckoned with and it wouldn't surprise me if bands are chanting "we're opening for Three Sheet" in the near future.
The last time I saw Shad was at the Squamish Music Festival this summer. His performance there was lethargic and sluggish making his line "the only thing I love more than rapping is napping" way less funny. But on Friday night, Shad ripped up the stage better than Nicholas Cage can chew scenery, with an ear- to- ear grin permanently stuck on his face. The crowd ate it up, loudly singing along with songs and crushing in close to the stage in violent adoration. When Shad launched into his classic, The Old Prince Still Lives At Home, the crowd knew almost every word and one fan managed to sneak her way on stage, lyp-syncing every word right beside Shad, until a security guard pushed her back into the crowd. Yaa I Get It became an aggressive anthem, and the flurry of pop culture, literature, biblical, and sport references and rap disses were hurled at the crowd with astounding speed.
