RJD2 played a disappointing show last night. I’ve seen him live (at Chop Suey this past May) and listened to his mixes, so my expectations were quite high.
Last night’s set was lackluster for a couple of reasons: unlike his other performances, the set didn’t incorporate much outside of his own albums, which was heavily skewed toward his disappointing latest album (instead of the excellent Dead Ringer).
Also, his transitions were poor, embarasing for a turntablist of his skill. Every time the crowd got into a groove, he’d stop the beat, and ungracefully switch tempo. It was like being at a restaurant where you’re forced to switch tables and eat something different after each bite.
That said, the show wasn’t all bad. His music is good, and the crowd was pretty active, getting into the music each time before being jerked around again. He also gave out a variety of “prizes,” including a t-shirt, a tin of hummus, and a bag of pita bread. As an encore he sang an acoustic version of a song off his latest album.
He’s heading to California, then to the Midwest and South. Solid (C+)