The moment I stepped into The Orpheum and took in the classic, time-worn surroundings, I immediately forgot about the electronic scanner that was just used to approve my admission and started to imagine some of the classic shows that have gone down at this Boston landmark over the decades. In fact, though I observed the skinny jeans alone on this particular Wednesday night, I began to think I might just be at a GN’R show hot off the heels of the release of Appetite for Destruction. However, any potential trip to the past was abruptly halted, as I suddenly found myself transported to a future where inflation has indeed run wild, all upon receiving word of the $10 Bud Lights being served in the lobby. Fortunately, I was able to keep expenses low as a buzz was unnecessary to enjoy the top-notch performances both N.E.R.D. and Common brought, doing justice to the classic venue that was theirs for the night.
Hitting the stage no later than 8:30, N.E.R.D. wasted no time getting the crowd to its feet as they came out hard, with a ton of energy. As they started out with some of their lesser-known, but high energy tracks, the crowd was into the performance from the top: the guys jumping and bopping their heads, the ladies shaking it while swooning for their boy Pharrell. At not quite the midpoint, the band slowed things down with some ballad-love in the form of "Maybe," which had the crowd enthusiastically singing along. Pharrell then hit on a theme repeated throughout the performance about how he enjoyed playing to "an audience that votes." Not quite preachy, but one could tell politics were on the mind. Soon after, the band hyped things up again as security pulled about 15 charged-up fellas from the crowd onto the stage and Pharrell shouted one of the lines of the evening: "I don’t care if you have arms like McCain! Put your hands up!" From thereon out, N.E.R.D. ripped into hits like "Rockstar," "Lapdance," and "Spaz," which worked the crowd and the stage into a frenzy. After getting all that testosterone off the stage, next came the ladies. What must have been more than 20-30 smitten young women joined the band on stage for "Everyone Nose" and "She Wants to Move" among other songs, each clawing at the other for a chance to grind up on band’s adored frontman. Overall, the set lasted about an hour, though it felt like 20 minutes. They even squeezed in instrumental solos including a just-long-enough dual drum solo. From start to end, the energy was present and the production level from the lights to the sound was on point, much having to do with the acoustics at the Orpheum.
Little time was wasted between acts, as it took only about half an hour to transform the stage into the Cooler—the laid-back nightspot where Common would soon delight the crowd. The marquee on the spot read “Souled Out” and soon after setup was complete, the seven-piece band made it’s way through the velvet rope, accompanied by some women there to take in the show from the lounge on stage. Soon after, the man of the hour pushed his way past the bouncer and onto the stage where he lit into one song after another - from more recent "Sex for Sugar" to the classic "I Used to Love HER" — all while pausing for an occasional sip of sangria and a toast to Boston, or to chat up a young lady he pulled from the crowd. In total sync with his band, the transitions between songs were seamless, even provoking some of the loudest cheers of the night as homage was paid to such classic beats as "T.R.O.Y." and K-OS’s Superstar Pt. 0. At one point, while the band was channeling a Bambatta/Zulu beat, the youngest fan in the crowd joined Common for some pop-lockin’ and breakin, even throwing a back flip in there that absolutely killed it. After ending an hour-long set, it didn’t take much prodding from the audience to get Common and his band back out there for an encore, and one hell of an encore it was. After performing "The Food," "Real People," and "The Light" (with a J Dilla dedication), he got into what every Common fan was waiting for: A freestyle session to top cap off an excellent performance. Knowing his audience, Common littered his freestyle with Boston athletic-related punchlines, as he showcased what many believe to be one of his most impressive skills. Overall, the man and his band brought it hard, laying out a blueprint of how to put on a hip-hop show.
