If you got there late, got stuck at the bar, or stood shimmying in a restroom line for too long, you missed BoB’s electric performance at Highline Ballroom in New York City on Sunday night.
If you were a witness who did none of those things, you were treated to a great 55-minute concert from Atlanta’s stratospheric-star, BoB.
The show, part of the national MySpace sponsored “Secret Shows” series, was jam-packed with 1,000-plus free ticketholders, lights, dancers, background singers, a live band, a constantly-morphing set, and a flowing set of hit after hit from BoB’s acclaimed catalog.
It was just enough time for the audience to fully appreciate how different BoB truly is among his peers in the rap landscape. He plays piano and guitar (“I’m the only rapper to play guitar and piano and have Gold and Platinum records,” he reminded during the show), he sings, he has collabos with country megastars like Taylor Swift. And he does it without apology to the tune of multiple Grammy nominations and other awards.
In under an hour, BoB ran through songs like “Melody” (with him on piano), “Never Let Go” (with him on guitar), the album title track/herbal anthem “Strange Clouds” (with him by audience-supplied cell phone lights), “So Good” (with the necessary “Na-na-na’s” belted out on background) and “Airplanes” (with Paramore’s Hayley Williams – not there – but on the accompaniment track).
“Rap it up” were BoB’s last words before exiting the stage. He was referring to wearing condoms, and Highline even completed his sex ed PSA by giving out sample 3-packs of Trojans “Charged” brand to the audience as they filed out.
It was a good lesson in safe sex, and an even better lesson in good music.
Check out more photos below:
