RECAP / PHOTOS: Sabotage: Beastie Boys Tribute @ One Eyed Jacks – 7/14/12

I never took Statistics, but chances are, when you walk up to a music venue and find a dense ticket line rolling out of the doors, you’ve made a pretty good decision in going to the show. Such was the case last night at One Eyed Jacks in the French Quarter, as a huge crowd of eager fans sat in the outdoor humidity for the opportunity to see members of local New Orleans bands, such as Gravity A, Flow Tribe, Jealous Monk, and others, render a Beastie Boy tribute that was, I promise, slick and hella cool.

The hole-in-one band got things started off on a funk-nasty, hip-hop foot with a performance of “Rhythm and Stealin” from Licensed to Ill, and then kept the premier-record motif going with a rendition of “Slow and Low.” Other tracks include, but weren’t limited to, “New Style,” “She’s Crafty,” “Girls,” “Intergalactic,” “Brass Monkey,” “Body Moving,” and, of course, the finale, “Sabotage.” When it was time for a small break for the vocalists, the band welcomed a new bass player and a raunchy ten minute funk jam proceeded to keep our ears captured. The set was also punctuated by an endearing praise of homage to Adam Yauch (aka MCA), the humble humanitarian Beastie Boy who passed away this past May. As a whole, the set list was a perfect array of Beastie Boys greatness, a collection of rowdy beats and brilliant lyricism that defines the band’s roughly 30-year career.

What was most impressive about last night performance was how tightly-knit the band was, and everyone in the crowd could easily tell how much work was put into this sincere and honorable production. This sort of dedication must be applauded (which it was, as the arm-waving and thunderous crowd constantly pumped the hardcore aura up), and our sheer admiration for the Beastie Boys, for their contribution to life and music, and for the musicians who gathered last night for this tribute was, and is, truly undying. Blasting through the midnight heat of One Eyed Jacks, the sweaty, heart-fueled vocalists didn’t miss a word, and the surrounding band certainly helped crystalize their places as New Orleans masters of sound.

The bottom line is this: These musicians came together over the past several months and conjured a precise and energetic depiction of musical history, in the form of a perfectly accomplished tribute to one of the greatest groups of musicians this world has ever seen. Some might say that’s an exaggeration, but then again those people would have forgotten the full-fledged energies and celebrations of youth, something the Beastie Boys never lost sight of (and, clearly, neither have last night’s performers). Last night was a ceremony of due praise and righteous partying, two infinite notions that will always exist in concert with the legacy of the Beastie Boys.

‘Sabotage: A Tribute to the Beasite Boys’ will be playing at the Spanish Moon on July 20th, so if you’re in Baton Rouge, I highly recommend you make this show. If you can’t make that, at least dig into these photos.

About the author

Can be your friend if you like words. Can probably be your friend even if you do not like words. Lives in New Orleans, looks for shade. Thanks Miner Johnson (@brahbrahbrah) for this prestigious career. You should thank him, too.

 

Tags: Beastie Boys, Flow Tribe, Gravity A, One Eyed Jack's