Concert Review: Rock the Bells in San Bernardino, CA on August 11

Rock the Bells is a hip-hop and rap festival that is slowly becoming for hip-hop what Coachella is to Indie rock. The festival, now in its fourth year is a showcase for late 80's/early 90's hip-hop, underground rap groups and a few commercial rap artists. This year's lineup brought back the pairing of The Wu-Tang Clan and the newly reunited Rage Against The Machine. Back in 1997 when these two groups toured together the result was less than successful. The tour fell apart early on. Ten years later an older and wiser Wu-Tang (minus one clan member the dearly departed and demented Old Dirty Bastard) have hooked up with the reunited rap/rockers for four of the stops on the inaugural Rock The Bells tour.

A venue switch and last minute changes in the schedule brought about chaos early on as rap fans simply were at a loss as to where they could and could not go while the three stages of progressive hip-hop proceeded to demonstrate how the genre is both a culture and a life style. The confusion did little to diminish the performances on the main stage. Early in the day Talib Kweli and Mos Def took the stage separately and represented hip hop artists that are both commercially successful and lyrically savvy and poignant. Individually they had trouble connecting with the large audience but as the rap duo Blackstar the two can truly rock a crowd trading rhymes and battle raps back and forth. With rapper Nas a no-show at the festival (he showed up late for his time slot)indie rapper Murs tried to work the crowd with his lyrical prowess. Representing the elder statesmen of rap, Public Enemy took the stage next. The crowd was lukewarm to the group at best and the group (backed by a full live band) never really found its groove during their set. Their live band seemed a bit lost and hype-man/clown prince Flavor Flav seemed hell bent on plugging his next reality TV show. This left frontman Chuck D to bring PE's sociopolitical message to the masses and he did not disappoint. If rap music is still supposedly the Black man's CNN (as Chuck stated 20 years ago) then Public Enemy's leader is still its anchorman. Chuck D still has one of the most commanding voices in rap and he bounced, danced and shadow boxed his way across the stage like a young Muhammad Ali while beseeching the young crowd to not "Believe the Hype", "Bring the Noise" and to "Fight the Powers that be". Rap as a genre is in need of a musical messiah and thankfully Chuck D is still the preeminent prophet of rage.

The Roots also brought live instrumentation to the table and really started to turn the show into a full fledged festival. In past performances because of meandering jam sessions it seemed as if The Roots were bent on becoming the Phish or Greatful Dead of rap. Thankfully the group played a focused set, settling on their best known tunes and improvising well enough to add jazz, funk and rock to their brand of hip hop. The envelope was pushed even further when rapper Nas joined the group for two of his own songs. LA's own kings of hip hop Cypress Hill were up next. Although the boys from the "Hill" are a one trick pony at best (the "trick" being their love of marijuana) it's a trick that works and ignites the party whenever Cypress Hill takes the stage. The group had the crowd in the palm of their hand and rocked the audience with many of their biggest hits.

After a break The Wu Tang Clan took command of the stage to the roar of the crowd. The eight mcs backed by dj Mathematics went through tunes from their first two discs with the greatest of ease. While mcs such as the RZA, Rakewon and Ghostface Killah had the chance to display their lyrical skills it is clear that Method Man remains the standout performer live. The "Meth" (as he is called) dove into the crowd, rapped his solo tunes and shimmied on top of the monitor as if he were running on a treadmill to the delight of the Clan's fans. The only downfall of the Wu Tang set was the fact that at one point their seemed to be at least sixty people on stage and you could no longer tell where in fact the Wu were. After another break and some tense moments between security and fans (which included some fans being hit with pepper spray and fires being set on the lawn) Rage Against The Machine took the stage. At the Coachella festival Rage seemed to be a band trying to find its mark. At the sound of the first note it was clear Rage had found their mark and were going to keep hitting it all night. Bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk have become an unstoppable rhythm section. Guitarist Tom Morello attacked his guitar, jumped and spun around the stage like a man possessed and vocalist Zack De La Rocha embodied a stage presence that was part anger, political manifesto and catharsis. One may question the bands message but there is no mistaking that this band has both a musical and political agenda and when it comes to combining the best elements of Sabbath, The Clash and the aforementioned PE no one does it better. At the end of their set the pioneers of the rap/rock movement walked to the front of the stage with their fists in the air. The fists slowly turned to hugs as the band congratulated each other on a job well done. This type of camaraderie, not usually seen at their shows bodes well for fans hoping the reunion lasts. Overall if organizers want to compete with Coachella they will have to have more cohesion and maybe even a change of venue when the show comes around again. By dealing with these details hip hop fans are sure to have their bells rocked properly next year.