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WU TANG FOREVER

Letterpress - The last major thing I did as a teenager was cover Wu-Tang Clan, and their performance as part of Salt Lake’s summer annual Twilight Concert Series. TCS has a knack for getting, not only notable acts, but very solid, credible, and interesting performers to put on concerts.

Even with such a consistent track record, having Wu-Tang is quite an unbelievable band to grace Salt Lake City.  And their adoring fans agreed.

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Though Wu-Tang Clan’s importance cannot be overstated, how do they fare in front of a crowd that can be found at a Twilight concert?

With lines to get into the show circling the entire venue, it was easily an hour wait to get in the park if you didn’t pre-purchase tickets. Fans seemed okay with the wait and looked on as Wu Tang started the set. But their patience didn’t last long. The line began to stir, and as Wu Tang started their second song, the fans outside the gates could take it no longer. People started jumping over and breaking down the chain link fences. The security guards didn’t intervene at the beginning of the stampede and looked a little stunned. Thousands of fans rushed to the band. And Wu Tang ate it up. It’s kind of what you’d expect from this band. And the entire experience didn’t disappoint.

HISTORY OF WU TANG
A little history of Wu Tang, for those of us who need a little brushing up: Despite their motto being “Wu-Tang forever,” the New York hip-hop collective could not have a more crucial place in the history of modern music. Forming in the first half of the ’90s, Wu-Tang Clan began as a group of friends, led by Shaolin-fanatics RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. In 1993, the group put out their epochal debut–Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Between RZA’s unorthodox production, the group’s effortless chemistry, and the consistency between tracks, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) renewed interest in the fading east coast scene. Wu-Tang, subsequently, begat The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Mobb Deep, and a new generation of hip-hop artists. One could argue–much like I am about to now–that Wu-Tang’s influence extends beyond their hip-hop sensibilities. Because of Wu-Tang, there is no Jay-Z. Without Jay-Z, there is likely no Kanye West, or even Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton. With those producers, we have the basis of much of modern pop, R&B, blues rock, etc. Without Wu-Tang, we do not much of the foundation for what is listened to today. Now, whether one chooses to laud, or to vilify Wu-Tang for the state of current music, their impact is inarguable. Wu-Tang stops being an impressive group of rappers, and becomes some seemingly unstoppable force of influence. And, by all accounts, this is exactly what they are. Even as solo artists, they have continued to put out critically validated albums, years after they could have stopped being relevant. For whatever reason, they have not quit.

Before Wu-Tang, I had only been to one other show as part of the Twilight Concert Series. It was last year’s Sharon Van Etten/The National show. Now, as anyone who knows me, or who has read my artist profile knows, I love The National. I know their music so thoroughly that I can enjoy anything they perform. Though I had heard of that the attendants of TCS could be disrespectful and inconsiderate, I did not notice this while watching The National. In fact, even when Run the Jewels were performing as the opener, crowds seem engaged, and thoroughly aware of others around them. With pistols in the air, it seemed likely that we were in for a good show all around.

_MG_5272Then, more people started filtering into the park, the more rowdy it got. It was fun, intense, but not everyone’s cup of tea. For those of you like myself, it was a little too claustrophobic and crazy, but for the real Wu Tang fans, it was amazing and everything you’d expect. It’s interesting to witness the an unwritten agreement between those who smoke weed and the security team. It’s kind of a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell, just keep it discreet” kind of agreement. And although I do not mind smoking, drinking into intoxication, liberal use of profanity, people telling banal and melodramatic stories, or even people bumping into me every once in a while, I enjoyed it from afar while many preferred it up close and personal. And when I say personal, I mean that the front row got sprayed in the face with champagne during the first song.

So, yes, Wu-Tang Clan sounded amazing. They killed it. They sounded fresh, they were energetic, and they could not have been more gracious to such a energetic and insane audience. Slinging classics from the group, as well as a few of their own respective solo cuts, they knocked it out of the park.

There’s this much-discussed Patton Oswalt bit from his latest show, Comedy Plus Tragedy Equals Time. Oswalt talks about what it means to sell out, where he could make money simply by being in the same room as less famous strangers. Wu-Tang Clan could have done just that. People came to see them, and they could have stood around and put on a Cake-level display. Wu-Tang Clan have enough credibility to last them long after they and their biggest fans are dead. They have no reason to put in any effort. Yet, they’re such pros that not even the worst people in Salt Lake could deter them from not only doing their thing, but from doing it well. Wu-Tang Clan have got enough in them to keep impressing us, both in terms of their music, and in the way they give that music to others. Though being an artist can be a Herculean feat, there’s a lot to be said for showmanship.

Wu-Tang did not only live up to expectations, but they lived up to their own credo “Wu-Tang forever.” They showed that nothing will be so exhausting that they’re not going to stop doing what they do for anyone. And if that isn’t what makes them more staggeringly impressive than most artists, then I don’t know what does.

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