(photo courtesy of Heather Byrd at the Tennessean)
As reported by Dave Paulson at the Tennessean
According to the man himself, Jay-Z's crowd at Vanderbilt University's Memorial Gym on Friday night was the best he had on his entire fall tour.
But that doesn't mean the crowd couldn't do better. When the rapper and his band launched into "Big Pimpin'" the audience went appropriately berserk, but he stopped the song before the first chorus to playfully chastise his fans.
"That's 'Big Pimpin'!" he told them. "That's a cultural phenomenon."
Jay (né Shawn Carter) then instructed the nearly packed house to take whatever they had — jackets, towels, hats — and spin it around their heads. When the song resumed, the gym came close to lifting off the ground.
He (Jay-Z) frequently turned his songs into spoken word, dropping the band down to a murmur and having the audience fill in the lyrics. He also got a hand from special guest and former Roc-A-Fella labelmate Memphis Bleek, who didn't deliver a single verse, but acted as a killer hypeman on songs like "U Don't Know."
Another well-known rapper was in the building, but he didn't take the mic: Nashville's own Young Buck (!) took in the show from backstage.
Over the last few years, Vanderbilt has done a better job of bringing hip-hop's A-list acts to Nashville, but their Memorial Gym isn't an ideal venue for the music. It's disheartening to hear music that thrives on lyrical nuances and air-tight grooves ricocheting haphazardly around all corners of the room.
On the other hand, the school setting let Carter — a few weeks shy of his 40th birthday — get up close with a still very youthful fanbase. He thrilled a number of audience members at the end of the show by pointing them out personally and thanking them for coming.
Carter made his exit as the final strains of Blueprint 3 closer "Forever Young" played. "Forever young, i want to be forever young," went the song's sampled chorus." It's a wish that Carter seems to share, and so far, it looks like he's getting his way.
Read the full review here:
Tennessean - Jay-Z shows Vanderbilt crowd why he's a cultural phenomenon
Photos:
Tennessean
Vanderbilt Hustler
Fan shot footage below.
Jay-Z Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN set list:
Run This Town
D.O.A.
Takeover
U Don't Know
Show Me What You Got
Give It To Me
Diamond Is Forever
Jigga My N——
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
Jigga What
P.S.A.
Heart Of The City
Already Home (Acapella)
Empire State of Mind
A Star Is Born
Haters
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
--------------------------
Thank You
(Playback set)
(songs that were most likely played based on previous show's set list)
On to the Next One
Excuse Me Miss
Venus Vs. Mars
‘03 Bonnie & Clyde
Lucifer
Swagga Like Us
Can I Get A?
Big Pimpin'
Hard Knock Life
Encore
Forever Young
Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' World Tour dates:
Nov. 17 - United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, TX
Nov. 19 – Tingley Coliseum – Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 20 – Don Haskins Center – El Paso, TX
Nov. 22 – Frank Erwin Center Arena – Austin, TX (?)
And the second leg of the tour starts in 2010 with Young Jeezy opening the show.
Feb. 22 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Feb. 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb. 25 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb. 27 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb. 28 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar. 03 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar. 07 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar. 19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar. 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar. 22 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar. 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose
Mar. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
(video courtesy of flyestmike & skdenduluri)
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