Anderson Paak Night Lamps
In a year of whirlwind that saw.Paak release two critically-acclaimed follow-ups to his debut, a platinum selling debut, an Grammy victory and the launch of his own label - APESHIT it's safe say that the California native has made big strides from the time of YouTube. The group he is in The Free Nationals, have been redefining the genre of soul and hip-hop through their live performances as well as their recording studio, and on Tuesday night at The Met Philadelphia, Anderson Paak proved the reason.
Anderson Paak's Best Teef In The Game Tour had him performing front of a massive screen which projected images for every track. The stage was almost 10-feet tall, with flame machines and lights. It was whether it was his hydraulically-lifted drum set, or his extended version of the song 'Lite Weight and the moment when he dropped down his mic and rushed over to kill on the drums for just a couple of seconds, he kept the crowd engaged throughout the hour-long show.
From the time he stepped onto the stage to the point at which he stepped off the drums and walked down the steps The crowd was on their feet. Even with the most impressive lighting and the biggest stage setup, he still managed to keep the crowd moving throughout the show.
His set began with Heart Don't stand a Chance's soft funk. Anderson Paak Socks continued to play the effortless, soulful groove that flows through his entire catalog. He and his band hopped on the horn solos of Maurice "Mo Betta", Brown, the new member from the Free Nationals. Once they settled on the horn, Brown and his band hopped back onto the hydraulically-lifted drum set to play their favorite song, "Come Down".
The audience was awestruck as he jumped off his raised drum kit and into the crowd for the high energy fan favorite. After the song ended the band and he returned to drumming King James to deliver sharply critical of the political climate.
The band and DJ were able to slow down the pace and after which they played Tints that was a mid-tempo funk track featuring Kendrick Lamar. It was then time for a special guest appearance by Sonyae Elise.
After spending the bulk of the time with Bruno Mars on Silk Sonic the '70s soul/R&B fidelity obsessed band decided to take on Malibu. Although it's not as original or diverse as their other songs is, it's deep into the genre. It reflects a greater awareness and interest in black history than the hip-hop and soul music that helped put him onto the map. The album is sad, but not sentimental, and it's evident that he's got a strong passion for the music which he grew up with.
The duo was an ideal match, their soulful grooves perfectly blending into the jazz and funk styles of the time. Their chemistry was infectious and it was clear that they were having fun singing together. If it was the slickness of the guitars and bass or the exuberant sound of the horns the ensemble performed like an ideal, and they gave the audience a total pleasure to watch.