The Roots are known as being one of the greatest live bands. After a ten-year wait, they proved why at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne) on New Year's Day.
Talk about getting the year off to a good start – the triple-header bill of The Roots, Talib Kweli and Nai Palm is a sure way to do just that.
Nai Palm, better known as front-person of Hiatus Kaiyote, started the evening in solo mode. The hometown favourite, bedazzled in glitter, still brought with her the glam that she is known for in Hiatus Kaiyote. Even though she was playing to a huge crowd who had turned out early, there was a sense of intimacy with Nai's set.
Staying away from the hip hop to begin with, it's not too much of a divergence as Nai reminded the audience that The Roots are a live band, and that they traverse closely aligned genres; jazz and soul, as does she in her own way.
Having Questlove standing side of stage, but in the audience's clear view was a nice touch from such a legend, and one that Nai seemed to relish, asking the legend if she could play one more song at the end of her set and receiving enthusiastic approval.
Nai Palm - image © Mark Ireland
Talib Kweli increased the high energy vibes from the get go. It was a thrilling set that spanned his career and multiple projects he has been involved with, including some heartfelt tributes to close collaborators MF Doom, Madlib and J Dilla. Outside of his solo work, Kweli would be most well-known for his music with Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def. The fans were treated to a couple of cuts from Black Star.
Though his career has been remarkable in its own right, interestingly, Kweli paid tribute to others who have influenced him. Not just in the hip hop sphere, but also reggae, as he told the audience that hip hop comes from reggae.
Then, he went into a version of female reggae pioneer Sister Nancy's 'Bam Bam' – he cut this short as he did not feel the audience was vibing with it enough – then flipped into Bob Marley's 'Is This Love', which was well received.
Throughout his set, Kweli built up brilliant rapport with the audience, with great crowd interaction with those at the front. . . Even finding time to sign some vinyl before cracking into his last song 'Get By'. He amped the crowd up for this one by encouraging them to make sure The Roots could hear every word backstage.
Talib Kweli - image © Mark Ireland
The Roots brought a wild level of energy for the entirety of their over two-hour set – it was relentless. Starting with a funk medley which included Instant Funk's 'I Got My Mind Made Up' and Kool & The Gang's 'Jungle Boogie', it was a party from front to back.
Each member of The Roots had their moment to shine, capably lead by Black Thought at the front, and Questlove holding it down as the bedrock of the band. The Roots' biggest strength is the way they are able to play so well together, but also ensure that every member of the band stands out on their own too.
After playing a career-spanning set, it was the extended version of 'You Got Me' towards the end from 1999's 'Things Fall Apart', which had the crowd enraptured. Guitarist 'Captain' Kirk Douglas sung Eryka Badu's parts and, having put on a show throughout the evening, this was his standout moment.
The Roots - image © Mark Ireland
The final medley which included 'The Seed (2.0)' brought home everything there is to love about The Roots' live show, the camaraderie between band members putting on a party for all to enjoy.
On the first day of 2025, to get to see a band that has had an indelible impact on hip hop music was a real treat. Though known for his introspective lyrics when fronting the Roots, Black Thought knows how to bring the party atmosphere, but he is not alone.
Each member of The Roots brings some magic which makes them greater than the sum of their parts.
More photos from the concert.
