photo credit: greg giant

A couple of weeks ago, J. Cole played an Austin show at a fraternity house for charity. That show sold out at about $25 a ticket, but naturally, I didn’t go for several reasons. The price for one. For two, it was the week after SXSW, so it’s safe to say I was a little burned out on Austin. I was more than happy to find that my dudes in the Niceguys were opening up for Cole at a Prairie View ‘Springfest’ event only two weeks after I heard all the acclaim from the previous show in my inner circle.

An hour drive isn’t too bad for a free J. Cole/Niceguys show, right?

Review after the jump.

-grizzly


photo credit: greg giant

For starters, this show was promoted poorly – so that’s 2 for 2 in terrible Prairie View shows. Not that the show itself was bad in anyway, but the fact that you only managed to pull 250 people at a J.Cole show is pretty ridiculous. The staff at PV had already paid for J. Cole to come play, so the proverbial financial damage had already been done. In a poor effort to recoup the money, PV decided charging $20 a head for a show in the basketball arena (see: “The Baby Dome”) was the brightest idea, and thus, dwindled the crowd from the get go.

photo credit: greg giant

Anyway, arriving to the venue two hours early (right?) was a must if we wanted to get in on the cheap; but it was no sweat, as the entire slew of Niceguys friends, staff and entourage were all on hand for beer, whiskey and laptop listening gatherings in a green room that probably sits 10 comfortably, but housed 20. Seeing The Niceguys and their network of cohorts is always a good thing for the blog, as we’ve managed to sit well with the group, their media team (Evesborough Films), fellow artists like Thurogood and Greg Giant and their management. It’s a beneficial situation for all involved.

photo credit: hdshootsphotos

Sure enough, after a two hour ‘mixer’ backstage, The Niceguys were ready to hit the stage, despite earlier qualms of technical difficulties. The group hit the stage to what I’ve deemed ‘the most dull and lifeless crowd’ of 2011. I know it’s early, but these students must’ve been tired, as 1/3 of them were still in seats. The Niceguys played an energetic, but quick set of four songs to an unappreciative and unenthused crowd, who seemed to be forgetting the fact that they paid 20 dollars for a show – enjoy it, perhaps?

photo credit: hdshootsphotos

Jermaine was up next as the headliner of Springfest. Sure enough, the crowd managed to wake up a little bit as ‘The Chosen One’ hit the stage swinging to a one-two punch of The Warm Up’s “Welcome” and “Grown Simba.” Cole possesses a tenacity of performing, rounded out with the ability to move the crowd and keep a certain caliber of singing capabilities when it’s required. Immediately one thinks of rappers (see: Drake) who are unable to carry a performance as well as the Roc Nation signee. As soon as he got a chance to address the crowd, he mentioned that he was grateful for those who paid $20 to see him perform, even though he claimed, “If I was a college student, I definitely wouldn’t have paid for me.”

photo credit: hdshootsphotos

Throughout the show, Cole talked to the crowd and performed songs from The Warm Up and recently released Friday Night Lights. Humility and gratefulness from the emcee for the paying crowd was apparent after he managed to take a few requests from the crowd. Some of these opportunities were seized by the crowd, and Cole performed songs like “Premeditated Murder,” “Beautiful Bliss,” and an a capella rendition of “A Dolla and a Dream.” Other times, the crowd chose the route of ‘the popular song’ and requested tracks that were undoubtedly going to be performed; your run of “Lights Please,” “In the Morning” and “Blow Up.” (ed note: I tried to get in calls of “I Get Up” several times, to no avail.) After the hour long set, Cole motioned the DJ to play “Villematic” over the speakers, as he hit the pit and made his way through the front of the crowd, signing autographs and giving daps and pounds to those in attendance.

photo credit: hdshootsphotos

SETLISTS:

[The Niceguys]
Supreme Team
Not At All
It’s Like That
Toast

[J. Cole]
Welcome
Grown Simba
Last Call
All I Want is You
A Dolla and a Dream (a capella)
Before I’m Gone
It Won’t Be Long
Higher
Lights Please
Looking for Trouble
Premeditated Murder
Enchanted
Beautiful Bliss
You Got It
Dreams/In the Morning
Who Dat
Blow Up
A Star is Born
Villematic

In closing, some words for the PV staff: If you take your work as seriously as you take the guest list situation, then please plan these events better. I can’t imagine it’s easy putting together something like this for students, but ‘Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!’ (Does anyone remember that acronym?!) Regardless, I can’t complain that much. The best act I saw as a UH student (during my time there) was Cobra Starship (terrible) and a feeble attempt to see T.I. The fact that PV is hosting acts like J. Cole and Big Sean is definitely worthy of note.

Till next time.

For photos of the entire event, please visit hdshootsphotos and greg giant’s facebook album. Muchos gracias, homies. And don’t forget these videos.