Snoop Dogg 'How The West Was One' Anaheim, CA Concert Recap

(photo courtesy of Kevin Sullivan / The Orange County Register)

As reported by Peter Schelden at The Orange County Register

They must have thrown a flashback disc on the radio at the spot where I ate before Snoop Dogg’s show Wednesday night. After hearing Soul Asylum, Train and Avril Lavigne, I was more than ready for some gritty West Coast thuggery, courtesy of Cordozar Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop.

I’m guessing that’s what the near-capacity Grove of Anaheim crowd wanted, too. Gangsta rap has always been about authenticity –- taking the shine off the overexposed, auto-tuned pop music of the day and replacing it with something more “real,” whatever that means.

The problem with the authenticity of living on the street is that it fades after years of living in a posh, gated community (just up the 57 freeway, in Snoop’s case). So the Doggfather’s live shows now juxtapose classic cuts from Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and his own auspicious debut, Doggystyle, next to lukewarm soul, the best example of which is probably “Sensual Seduction.”

On the plus-side, Snoop proved beyond a doubt that he is still a master MC; when he raps, there is nothing more interesting to watch. His flow is smooth -– nearly perfect, actually, coming across with finesse and effortless skill.



Nowhere was that more obvious and evident here than on “Gin and Juice (video above),” the fifth song of the night, capturing the rapper at his laid-back best. Indeed, when he’s good, Snoop is very, very good, and that’s what makes the slow moments so unbearable –- milking the crowd to say “hey” and “ho” until way after they stopped caring or rehashing the dull dance number “Candy (Drippin’ Like Water)” are moves that are beneath him at this point.

Read the full concert review here:
Orange County Register - Snoop Dogg’s rhymes still pop but many songs fizzle fo’ shizzle at Grove of Anaheim gig

Photos:
Orange County Register - Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik & Nipsey Hussle 'How The West Was One' Anaheim, CA concert

More fan shot footage below.



(video courtesy of roxanneca)