Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
K'Naan, the Somali-born rapper/singer, was all over television during the World Cup in June and July with Wavin' Flag the theme song. So, it was more than surprising that the crowd was on the sparser side. And K'Naan made note of that as well offering "constructive criticism" to the faithful to bring the crowd next time, claiming (falsely apparently, based on visiting Ticketmaster) that his entire tour was sold out.
But one aspect that K'Naan was dead on about was in thanking the crowd for their effort. Whether they had anything to do with it or not, K'Naan shifted the gig into higher and higher gear to make for a sometimes captivating night of music that included a lot of social commentary.
K'Naan started on the slower side with short versions of rap songs ABC's with lines "They don't teach us the ABC's/We play on the hard concrete/All we got is life on the streets" and Dreamer, both from last year's "Troubadour" CD. After cutting through I Come Prepared, K'Naan went back to his roots with America where the pace started to pick up.
The crowd certainly helped by singing large chunks without prompting from K'Naan either. Small in number, they certainly enabled K'Naan to feed off of them.
For his part, the now Toronto-based singer scored more points when he sang, such as on the softer Fatima.. K'Naan also grew more and more animated and enthusiastic as the 85-minute show wore on. K'Naan's signature song, the infectious Wavin' Flag, received a sturdy workout from both he and the crowd.
By the time he reached the first encore song, T.I.A., he was running in place lifting his legs high.
K'Naan never forgot his roots. During the encore, he took it down real low with Somalia, not a pretty song. He told the crowd they needed to be real quiet, and he wasn't joking. Based on the lyrics about the terrible life there, there's no wonder K'Naan left his homeland for Canada.
K'Naan definitely kept it real on this night as he performed from experience. It was a gritty one and a rewarding one for the audience.
Paper Tongues, from Charlotte, N.C., opened with strong set of accessible rock music, which had a sometimes light edge to it. Rap is also part of the mix.
Lead singer Aswan North was a strong presence, moving about the stage and putting it across. While the crowd probably wasn't overly familiar with the group, he got them going on more than one occasion.
The songs tended to have an anthemic quality, and the band gave them room to breath. Drummer Jordan Hardee was a powerhouse, setting a very sturdy beat throughout. While Paper Tongues wouldn't be accused of being particularly original at this point, they acquitted themselves well in an energetic 45-minute opening set.