Beastie Boys at The Wiltern



The show at The Wiltern is going down in my book of favorite Beastie Boys shows. The very cool venue and audience contributed to making the show very special to me. Nothing beats attending a show with people who have the same appreciation for the music and band as I do. The pit at The Wiltern was full of people who came to enjoy some good music, not get drunk and scream for songs that didn't have a chance of being performed.

My friend Paul and I arrived at the venue around 3 p.m. to find only a few people in the general admission line. We joined the line and chatted with other fans over the next few hours. The good humor shared in the line was a positive sign for the show. We met a guy named Josh, whom I would describe as my male counterpart in the fan community. He has traveled the world to see the Beastie Boys perform for many years. We entertained each other with stories of seeing the band in distant locations. It was strange to learn how many of the same shows we have attended (and stood near one another!) but had never met. Josh was a crazy Beastie mofo, and we were happy to welcome him into our posse, which, as the evening progressed, included Jennygirl and YoungRemy from the BBMB.

A funny moment in our wait happened when we noticed Adam Horovitz and Adam Yauch drive by the general admission line in front of The Wiltern. Horovitz was driving a Lexus SUV, with Yauch riding shotgun. We could see that Yauch was saying, "Yo, turn here!" to his friend, who was concentrating on the traffic. We don't think they even saw the line of fans standing under the marquee with their band's name on it.

Closer to doors opening, we learned that the show would be filmed -- or, at least, that's what the sign stated outside the venue. We didn't notice any cameras inside the venue, but only one outside the venue. Someone in a suit filmed some of the exterior of the venue and the general admission line with a Super 8 camera. We're not sure if it was someone "official" or just a fan screwing around.

My friends and I have no quality photos from the show because cameras were not allowed in the venue. It's unlikely that anything but cameraphone pics will surface out of this show, which is unfortunate. The show was very much worth capturing in image.

When the band took the stage, they seemed rather somber -- like they had just left a funeral. Their mood and humor changed a few songs into the set. Throughout the night, they gave multiple shout-outs to their L.A. friends, in particular Max Perlich. [Watch Max play b-ball with the band in a clip from "Rappin with the Rickster."]

Of special interest was the premiere of Mike Diamond's new hairdo. His curls had been flattened and combed over by his "hair dressing team," to whom he gave a special shout-out. Yauch later joked that Mike should take the wig off, to which he replied, "I can't do that, my friend."

Although there was little banter compared to other Gala Events, what the band did say was of more interest and/or funnier than usual. They commented on how pleased they were that people dressed to impress for the show. Mike asked the audience, "How many people got that hair did for the show?"

Diamond and Horovitz reprised their "bong-bong, bing-bing" routine (also heard in Gdynia, Poland) before breaking into "Heart Attack Man."

Yauch's bass was crazy-wild loud at the show. During "Off the Grid," my friends and I had to grab the rail not to be blown away by the boom. It was cartoonish funny how loud the bass was!

I'll have to check my records at Beastiemania.com, but I believe the show at The Wiltern may have had the most The Mix-Up songs performed ever -- six of twelve.

Good people, good music, good times...

Opener: Peanut Butter Wolf [video 1 // video 2]

Setlist
Son of Neckbone [video]
Suco de Tangerina
Live at PJ's
14th St. Break [video]
Futterman's Rule
Remote Control [video]
Time for Living
Pow
Lighten Up
Root Down & Get It
Electric Worm
In 3's
Egg Raid on Mojo
The Gala Event
Jimmy James
B for My Name
Song for the Man
Mark on the Bus
Shambala
Sabrosa
Tough Guy
Off the Grid
Ricky's Theme
Do It
Heart Attack Man
Gratitude
So What'cha Want [video]
Sure Shot
3 MCs and 1 DJ
Sabotage [video]

Watch a video montage of Suco de Tangerina, Live at PJ's, Remote Control, Song for the Man, 3 MCs and 1 DJ, and Sabotage here.



Photos





Audio
  • Audience recording of the show (via zshare.net)
  • 18 comments:

    5:03 PM Hot Sauce said...

    Peanut Butter Wolf commented that he met Horovitz before the show for the first time. He said Horovitz didn't expect him to look like he did. My friends and I joked that Peanut Butter Wolf could play Jamie Billet in a Beastie Boys movie, if they ever made one.

    5:28 PM Anonymous said...

    It sounds like a wonderful show!

    5:32 PM la whisper said...

    i loved mike's hair...and i loved that crazy loud bass! i went in stood in front of the bass cabinets on the left for a couple minutes just so i could feel my insides wooble.

    where was the red carpet & beyonce/bboys cut-out? i was totally looking forward to seeing that.

    5:44 PM Hot Sauce said...

    The cut-outs and red carpet must be exclusive to Denver. I believe the promoter (Live Nation aka Clearchannel) owns the Denver Fillmore.

    5:58 PM Bianca said...

    Hey there, I was at the show last night and it was amazing. The overall energy in the crowd was so positive and into the music that it made the night really outstanding.

    I was on the floor and seriously did not stop dancing the whole time. And I have no voice left today, which always means it was a great show!

    Thank you so much for putting up the setlist and leaving such a great description of the night. You rock!

    6:03 PM paulbonardelli said...

    3MCs and 1 DJ was the best song of the night!!!!!

    NOT.

    Futterman's rule and Off The Grid were prob my fav songs of the night...

    6:16 PM la whisper said...

    ahh, i see. it would have been a nice touch at the wiltern too. especially since it's also owned by live nation!

    6:39 PM Hot Sauce said...

    Oh, it is? I didn't know that.

    The red carpet/photos didn't go over too well in Denver, I think. Once fans got in the doors, they ran for a spot for the show.

    7:10 PM Anonymous said...

    I was able to sneak in a camera thanks to a well time Jedi Mind Trick.

    Just put up a photoset on Flickr for all y'alls enjoyment. Been poking around here for all my Beastie's needs for a while now and figured it was the least I could do.

    Ch..ch..check it out

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/11962570@N04/sets/

    7:19 PM Hot Sauce said...

    Thanks for posting the photos, Todd. I remember you! You stood next to my friend at the first Greek Theatre show.

    7:32 PM Anonymous said...

    #1) How was PB Wolf?
    #2) What's the deal with 3MCs? Describe that song please!!!!!
    3) They did the Bong Bong Bing Bing thing in Philly if I'm not mistaken.

    7:54 PM Anonymous said...

    Glad you liked the photos. It was pretty cool running into your friend for a second consecutive show. He was a pretty nice guy.

    Also, I forgot to mention in my last comment that I got a couple good clips the youtube from last night as well...

    http://youtube.com/user/themunson

    Thanks for running such a cool site.

    8:01 PM Hot Sauce said...

    pshabi,

    1. Peanut Butter Wolf was just ok. He asked the audience what they wanted to hear and then proceeded to play what he wanted to play. He spun a bunch of old rap tracks sung by kids who were never "discovered" in their day.

    2. The deal with "3 MCs"? I don't know what you're talking about. The song was performed as it is normally performed at the Gala Events. It didn't stand out as something extraordinary to me. It was solid. I mean, I don't know what more to say about it.

    3. Despite knowing people who attended the Philly shows (umm, yeah, I'm talking about you and Poots), I didn't hear much about the Philly shows. Who did the routine in Philly? Originally, it was Yauch's and Horovitz' routine.

    8:09 PM razmatazern said...

    *in reference to the bong bong bing bing routine*

    yeah, they did it in philly. i think diamond started off the bong-bong, then horovitz was on the opposite side of the stage and did the bing-bing, then pooty yelled/asked yauch (who was standing in the middle) what we were supposed to do in the middle and yauch replied with b-daank, b-daank for the middle.

    oh, and the wiltern show sounded like one heck of an awesome show! thanks for the review

    8:32 PM Anonymous said...

    I guess I haven't been paying enough attention to know that they're doing 3MCs @ the gala events. Meh!

    I just read a post on the board and then read what paul typed here and thought they may have done something goofy, or special, or both.

    11:50 PM Anonymous said...

    Lexus SUV? A day or so after Yauch promoted the movie "11th Hour"

    I love the band and all but if people with such high profiles cant practice what they preach they should just keep quiet.

    12:31 AM Hot Sauce said...

    I don't consider recommending a film preaching a message.

    4:16 PM NotBob said...

    I live in Los Angeles and work in the music industry. I have seen probably a few hundred concerts in my life. I've been telling people for the last week and half that I think this is the best show I have ever seen. Stage presence, the crowd, song selection, venue, show length - it was all that good.

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