Lupe Fiasco @ The EnmoreTheatre, Sydney (20/01/09)

Wed 21st Jan, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Cliché though it may be, some people are just born to be on-stage. While this reviewer can take or leave a Lupe Fiasco album, the MC’s live show is an altogether different proposition. Tonight begins with diligent support from Pez and Muph & Plutonic, but the room is restless for the main event. The all-sorts crowd of suburban kids, high-heeled glamours, backpackers and, yes, even some chaperones fills the Enmore with more buzz than a Tuesday deserves.

After some cookie-cutter R&B filler, the lights go down and the dancefloor goes ape-shit. Lupe’s six-piece band – guitarist, bassist, two keyboardists, one (enormous) drummer and DJ – launch headlong into a jam. The sound is remarkably gutsy, bolstered by precisely-cued lighting. Strolling out in army pants and t-shirt to a tremendous cheer, the man of the night introduces Kick, Push. Despite the exuberant band members all around him, all focus is on Lupe Fiasco. And how he holds it. It’s hard to imagine a more athletic frontman, however his hyperactive springing around the stage is somehow never messy. Quite incongruously, I’m reminded of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at All Tomorrow’s Parties: a towering group of men all throwing themselves into the performance, led by the most loose-limbed of all.

The crowd still reeling from the full-frontal opening, Lupe wastes no time in declaring Hip Hop Saved My Life. Yes, the band has loosely choreographed dance moves, but it’s hard to be cynical when you’re grinning like an idiot. The one-two punch of Sunshine and I Gotcha amps the show up even further. With the kind of aerobics-instructor enthusiasm they’re projecting, you wouldn’t guess these guys have been playing the same set-list for months. Despite all his exertion, Lupe maintains an unwavering cadence on the mic. Fittingly, Go Go Gadget Flow is the best showcase for his vocals, with each chorus fired at different sections of the heaving floor.

By Hi Definition and Paris, Tokyo, the band has really loosened up; its undisguised delight giving the crowd something to match. As soon as the now-shirtless Lupe croons a jazzy version of the Superstar chorus, he’s met with an appreciative roar. You can tell from the sudden explosion from the seated section that this is The One They Play On Radio. Lupe retreats before returning to dedicate Daydreamin’ to Barack Obama. While a backing track is no substitute for Jill Scott, the star of the night draws the song out into a rousing finale. Ending the set with as much vigour as he started it with, it’s a class performance from a natural showman. Hip hop saved my Tuesday.