Venue: Colonial Theater
Presented in Partnership with Nova Arts
Date: Sunday, January 31st
Opener: Adam and the Flood
Review: I was so excited when I saw this show first announced. I have been a fan of Reggie Watts for a few decades now, but have never had the chance to see him live. And the cherries on top: The show was 30 minutes from where I grew up and a hometown rapper I like was opening the show.
The Colonial Theater was has been around for a century and just had a major upgrade. The venue reminded me of some of the venues in Boston like Bosch in Boston. It’s a beautiful older venue covered in gold, long bannisters, and a good view no matter where you are seated.
Adam and the Flood, formerly known as Adeem/Glue, is the newest project by Adam. He is a Keene native who now resides in my hometown. I saw him perform twice years back and he put on such a good, live show. His music is always filled with powerful samples, strong beats, and lyrics that mean something. This new project is fronted by a full band and Adam brought his bassist out for his show at the Colonial. They pushed through ten songs, while Adam talked a little inbetween each about the meaning behind them, the rappers who inspired him, his native roots, being a father. If you get a chance to see them, make it happen!
Setlist for Adam and the Flood:
- Time Don’t Last
- Bang
- Ten Lives
- You Don’t know
- Hubris
- Prey
- I Learned Everything from Vonnegut
- Trippin Over Nothin
- Peace It Together
- 50 Miles from Home
I have been a fan of Reggie Watts for as long as I can remember. From his Conan appearances, his band leading duty on Comedy Bang Bang, the man has had a long and successful career in music comedy. I did stand up for a decade and occasionally played the piano or guitar and did one-liners and songs. Though I could never do what Reggie did, I remember researching his equipment, his setup, everything. I was so impressed by him.
The German-born, Minnesotan demonstrates his vocals on stage from bass to tenor, that man can hit all notes. Which is no surprise, as he formerly lead bands including the soul/funk Maktub.
On stage, Watts beatboxes, sings, raps, and loops sounds together to create hilariously skilled songs. And the coolest part: No two sets are alike. As in, everything is improvised. You could follow him for a whole tour and every night would be new. Don’t expect to see him and hear a favorite from one of his live recordings or late night appearances. Instead, expect to hear songs about the city he is performing in, songs about the crowd, songs about topical events.
Pictures:
Where to find the artists:
Adam and the Flood
Reggie Watts