It's that time again... I needed to get my EB fixx with a little bit of help...


Off to the big stage (early this time) to see the “first lady of neo-soul,” Erykah Badu. This was a treat for her fans, as Badu’s live performances have been few and far between for some time now.

Her band played on stage for at least 5 minutes before she made her deservedly royal entrance. Dressed in a Public Enemy hoodie, a top hat, noir sunglasses and high heels (hey, she was writing her own style rules here), Badu was quick to reach sour-faced highs. To say she’s got sass is an understatement. Case in point: her backup dancers even wore T-shirts that bore the image of her face.
She played The Healer from her latest and perhaps most experimental release, New Amerykah, where she proclaimed, “Hip hop is bigger than the government.” Naturally, ’Roo fans loved that. She’d circle back to the track to close out the set.

Badu took some time out to explain, via a quirky interlude, what she’d been doing during her retreat from touring. She had three kids by “three different dudes,” but she loved the guys deeply. Her legs and backside got bigger and she hit 36, she sang. It was witty, candid, simply wonderful — a great transition that showed Badu, for all her splendor and accolades, was just like us. In fact, she told the audience, “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you.”

She’d gradually peel back the layers of her deliciously weird ensemble and lay down her signature stuff — feverish hip-hop, jazz with a touch of pyschedelia and spoken word (On and On, Back in the Day). Later came an electronic drum pad solo. Some fans shouted for another Badu great, Tyrone, though it never came. Even without it, the set was fantastic. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait so long next time for more.


Sucky image, better sound:


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Sucky sound, better image:




[Edited 6/19/09 10:45am]

With My Morning Jacket on Tyrone. 3:20 she emerges on stage. Wish the sound quality was better especially at the end. Wish I was there.