By: Amber Schadewald
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| Slug, in one of his many hats - Photo by Alexa Jones |
God may love ugly, but when its Slug, so does most everyone else. Ugly is a harsh word—Slug simply looked like a creep. With a sketchy ‘stash and long, dirty hair hung around his face, Slug looked like an escaped convict/the creepy uncle you avoid at reunions. His music, on the other hand, was as beautiful as hip hop can be.
Playing off his early albums as well as brand new songs I had yet to hear, Atmosphere played a well-balanced show to the sold-out crowd Friday night. With a smile stretched ear to ear, Slug was obviously happy to be home. Ant mirrored the energy, surrounded by his cloud of cigarette smoke as he hunched over the tables, bobbing up and down, ever so often looking up to mouth Slug’s lyrics.
Personally, I prefer Atmosphere’s older material, when his music was angry, confused and raw, just like him. Friday showcased a totally different and refreshed musician; Slug was giddy and had the energy of a middle schooler. The strangest part of the show was his hat switching routine. In a Carrot Top-like fashion, Slug sported multiple costume changes, including a cowboy hat, a green poker visor and even a police hat. I’m still a bit fuzzy as to why.
Highlights for the evening included “Shoes,” when the crowd sang along and Slug yelled at us for trying to do his lyrics better than him; and “God Loves Ugly,” when Slug licked his fingers and smoothed out his eyebrows, then kissed his fingers and did the same to his ‘stash. Hilarious and slightly disturbing, the crowd was more than pleased.
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| Photo by Alexa Jones |
After playing for over a solid hour, the band finished, yet didn’t leave stage. “I’m not a fucking idiot,” Slug shouted. “We know you expect an encore, but this isn’t a football game. You ain’t gotta do that. Let’s just go straight to the bonus features.”
It was great. No annoying wait, just more music.
Slug said he had been brainstorming what he would do for the encore while here at home, mentioning something about wanting to relate it to “where I’m from.” Immediately the crowd freaked out, itching to hear “Shh.” Slug said he didn’t even know if he remembered the lyrics, but decided to do it anyways, with a simple drum beat and a little push from the audience. Needless to say, it was incredible. A unique moment you know he could only experience so sweet with his hometown fans.
Before heading out, the band also played “Lovelife” and “Always Coming Back Home to You.” The show came to a close at 1 a.m., as Ant hung out on the corner, local rappers swarmed exits flyering for their own shows, and fans stood around like deer in headlights.
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Atmosphere
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