the roots | "100% dundee" | things fall apart | 1999
the only salt lake arts council summer twilight series concert that i planned on attending this summer was andrew bird’s. but then i heard a review of the roots’s new album (rising down) on the sound opinions podcast and thought, “what the heck, it’s free.” so the wife and i went tonight and, no joke, this was one of the best live shows i’ve ever seen. they started with rap, but then went into this long jam session covering dylan, hendrix, and all sorts of cool funk i’ve yet to discover. i hate to disrespect the elders, but, having just seen snoop dogg a couple weeks before, i have to say these guys are more talented, cleverer, and better showmen than the old pro rapper. but then, why should i be surprised that a lesser-known artist would have a better sound than the big sellers?
if you have a chance to see the roots, do it! they use a sousaphone for bass, for crying out loud!
