I was surprised by a few things at this past weekend’s Beastie Boys performance at San Francisco’s Warfield, where the veteran hip-hop/punk band played material from their latest album The Mix-Up. Mainly, I was thrown off by the gray hair and the good manners.
Members of the Beastie Boys have hit their 40s, so it’s no big surprise to see MC and bass player Adam Yauch rockin’ the salt and pepper up top. But it wasn’t just the gray hair that got me. The Beastie Boys were so damned nice and polite. There was no shit-talking or rabble-rousing, and barely any cursing. The atmosphere was one that made you want to sip tea and dance rather than drink beer and punch the guy next to you. I have to say it was jarring to think that not long ago, I was jumping around like a fool at one of their concerts in a sea of hyped-up break dancing and moshing 20-year-olds.
That said, I’m not complaining. I dig it. The musicianship of the band is impressive and the songs are loungy and heavy with organ, percussion, wah-wah guitar licks, and lots of echo, reverb, and sci-fi sounds. It’s similar to their earlier instrumentals from Check Your Head and The In Sound From Way Out!, but without any semblance of punk rock.
And the Beasties have traded in their signature Adidas track suits and beanies for old-man suits with pork-pie hats and skinny ties. It’s not hip hop, it’s mod, all the way. And I’m liking it.
