all photos courtesy of greggiant

The Niceguys had a hell of a 2010. Along with a few high profile shows with Big Sean, Clipse and others, they finally released their debut album, The Show. For a record that was three years in the making, everyone in their camp and fanbase were excited with what was to come. The culmination of all that hard work paid off at what seemed like was their homecoming Tuesday night at the House of Blues. Local emcees came out to support; Fat Tony, Hollywood Floss, Hash Brown and even Bun B were in attendance. Bloggers (ahem) came out as well. This was something to celebrate, after all.

Hit the jump for the rest of the recap.

-grizzly


all photos courtesy of greggiant

After the crowd had settled in at the Bronze Peacock Room at the House of Blues, newcomer to the Houston hip-hop scene Thurogood Wordsmith hit the stage. Boasting cuts from his debut EP, The Appetizer, Thurogood had the crowd in check in no time. It’s not every day you go to a hip-hop show and enjoy the opener, but songs like “There’s an App for That,” “A.M.” and “Boomerang” thrive on crowd participation, and all of them were showcased. New fans of the emcee were treated to free copies of his EP, and meanwhile, Thurogood maintains his climb into becoming a more prevalent Houston artist.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

The Niceguys’ DJ Candlestick was on stage for the entire show, keeping the crowd alive in between sets, which is solely to be held responsible for the lack of ‘lull’ during this 4 hour extravaganza. Mantis, a four-piece local band upstart was up next. The singer and piano player, Nick Greer, can be found on the Niceguys LP on both “Caves” and “Things Ain’t The Same,” and he fronted this Black Keys-esque rock outfit with the finesse and stage presence of festival veterans. For a band who can count their shows on one hand, it was both relieving to have a “break in genre” on a lineup of predominantly hip-hop and pleasing that the band was actually good in the first place.

At the moment, this band has a few recordings to their name, as they’re currently working on their as-yet untitled project. In the meantime, download “Money” and “Revenge” below.

Money.
Revenge.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

Killa Kyleon was up next, and going into the show, my knowledge of his discography lasted as far as some of his big features in the last few months, as well as the fact that he was a member of Houston rap clique, The Boss Hogg Outlawz. The features included Currensy’s aptly-titled “Ride to H-Town,” to Wiz Khalifa’s “Spotlight” and his verse on the remix of Big K.R.I.T.’s “Moon and Stars,” and luckily, all three were performed. An emcee like Killa are not particularly up my alley, but his stage presence was heavily reminiscent and influenced by the Houston greats in UGK and Scarface.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

Killa stayed on stage for a few minutes to give the men of the hour their introduction, and it felt like a god damn homecoming. The Niceguys hit the stage prompty after Killa’s set and wasted no time in bringing their entire entourage on stage. By entourage, I mean most of their musical companions in Lee Lonn Walker, Nick Greer, Jack Freeman, and a few others, all of whom can be heard on The Show.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

Their set began with “The Show” and the group showcased an enriched demeanor rounded out with a full band. (Editor’s note: I’ve never personally seen them play with a guitarist or bassist on stage, so forgive me if they’ve had a full band before.) To borrow a line from “Toast,” this particular concert wasn’t any sort of showcase, but rather, ‘a celebration, bitches.’ All four members of the group had ear-to-ear grins as they flew through songs off of an album that took nearly three years to complete. Tack on another six months of promo, videos and selling their own tickets to sell out the House of Blues, and you have a full scope of the show’s mindset.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

Keeping that ‘celebration’ aspect in tow, their set was filled with shenanigans and the like, with ample booze flowing throughout the stage; taking the form of mixed drinks, shots and champagne. Their set consisted of mostly anthems – “Die Later,” “It’s Like That” and “Supreme Team” all received face time. Why stop there? The quartet hassled the guest of honor to hit the stage, and Bun B was graceful and managed to put on for the Niceguys. Champagne toast? Check. Pouring it out for Pimp C and DJ Screw? Check. The Niceguys giving the Trill OG himself a present that entailed a meal of cajun staple Boudain? Check. Bun spitting two verses from “Lemme See It?” Check.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

In the group’s hour-long set, they highlighted hits from The Green Room EP, including the aforementioned “Supreme Team” and “Not At All,” both of which are certified crowd favorites. (Editor’s Note: The group managed to shout out weworemasks on stage before the latter track; Appreciate it!) “Things Ain’t the Same” and “Mr. Perfect” were great showcases of the band to shine, with James Kelley’s guitar solo and subsequent drum solo to resonate amongst a crowd of hip-hop lovers. Minutes after their set-ending performance of “Toast,” they premiered the video for the track, which looked pretty great on a projector screen in front of an intoxicated Houston crowd. It’s good to see a hard-working group’s efforts appreciated. Their knack for showmanship and entertainment rings out and far exceeds the common concert-goer’s expectations, as this was the group’s best performance to date. Hopefully, 2011 has a lot more opportunities for one of Houston’s best kept secrets.

all photos courtesy of greggiant

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Download The Show.

Watch the video for “Toast.”

Setlist:

The Show (with Lee Lonn Walker)
Die Later
Supreme Team
Somebody (with Lee Lonn Walker)
Thing’s Ain’t The Same (with Nick Greer)
It’s Like That
Not at All (with Jack Freeman)
Mr. Perfect
Guitar/Drum solos
Bun B’s “Lemme See It”
Toast

“Encore”:

Toast video premiere