I-70 Independent host reviews the Friday show.
On Friday, Murs brought his team of hip-hop lovers/label mates and his dedicated fan base to the Granada. Though the crowd’s size was modest for the gargantuan room that is the Granada, the acts didn’t seem to care. Most of them had never been to Kansas and as most people who first visit Lawrence, they are really impressed. The night started out with some rock music by Sean O’Connell and the house band that was present for almost all of the acts, The Senseis. The crowd seemed to be confused at some points during O’Connell’s part of the show as Murs normally brings a “hip hop” show in the best sense of the term. Next up was Mckenzie Eddy, who also didn’t fit the “hip hop” type. She brought a beautiful voice and another interesting aspect to what was shaping up to be a more diverse show than I had ever expected.
With legendary producer Ski Beatz and The Senseis holding down the music, Tabi Bonney came to the stage to bring that fresh dope superstar style. Being from Washington, DC, being born in Togo and being on the bill of the epitome of West Coast hip hop, Bonney brought a blend of stylistic, in your face but smooth lyrics. Bonney put together a solid set for his first time in Lawrence and definitely made some new fans with his composed and accepting attitude of all the people in the room.
Next up was Murs, the underground hip hop legend, who has been putting together forty date tours, packing venues, and printing his own merch in his basement for the past ten years. Going right into classic tracks such as 3:16, Bad Man!, and H.U.S.T.L.E., he made sure to show the crowd his set was an all encompassing display of his career. Sprinkling in the new tracks such as Remember To Forget and Hip Hop and Love, Murs slowly built up the small but steady crowd. Using his magnetic energy and honest lyrics that include great one-liners that underground hip-hop head live for. The show ended with just a song and no encore as most humble national acts have given the middle finger to this time-tested waste of time. Jumping off the stage, Murs and the other acts ran over to the merch table to greet nearly everyone in the crowd purchasing t-shirts, cds, and wanting to talk to the artists.
The show was fantastic, energized, and not taken for granted due to the lack of people that were in attendance. The only depressing part is that the Granada would be sold out for a much lesser artist, who hasn’t taken the time to hone their craft and really produce honest and connected music.
Murs and his team brought a show! People just have to realize this and bring themselves.
by james baker