Kendrick Lamar took full command of the Civic Theatre last night as the hip-hop superstar and his backing band, The Wesley Theory, rolled through New Orleans for the second stop of their intimate Kunta’s Groove Session’s Tour.
Following an opening set from Lamar’s labelmate Jay Rock, the guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist that comprised The Wesley Theory (the band takes its name from the opening track on Lamar’s 2014 album To Pimp a Butterfly) got situated beneath a glowing neon sign that read “Pimps Only.”
The quartet launched into a jazz-infused instrumental as Lamar quietly graced the stage, with the rapper taking some time to admire the raucous crowd from a couch that was conveniently placed in front of the drum kit. When the anticipation finally reached a pinnacle, the rapper stepped up to the mic and launched into an immaculate rendition of the rapid-fire To Pimp a Butterfly interlude “For Free?” A rocking “Institutionalized” set things off next, and the energy rarely subsided from there.
The bulk of the show focused on Lamar’s newest album, though it strayed occasionally, most notably during the Good Kid, M.A.A.D City crowd-pleasers “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “m.A.A.d. city.” The last of those numbers sent the crowd into a frenzy as Lamar ripped through each politically-charged verse like a man filled with righteous fury.
At various points throughout the night, the MC took things down a notch to share some thoughts with the crowd and thank them for supporting him over the past few years. He noted that, even after playing in front “80,000 and 100,000 people,” he still felt most at home in front of “his core mother fucking fanbase.” He also had some nice words for New Orleans, erroneously claiming that he last performed here two or three years ago (Lamar closed out this year’s Essence Festival) before emphatically declaring that he would definitely be back, and that the city would be giving every other stop on the tour a “run for their money.”
The longest of those spoken word interludes took an abrupt, and altogether satisfying, turn when the first notes of “King Kunta” dropped. Each repetition of the chorus formed a new step up the crescendo ladder, building and building until the song hit its dizzying peak.
Over the course of 90 jam-packed minutes Lamar had the crowd firmly in his pocket and eating out the palms of his hand. It was a rare chance to observe an artist with total control over his audience, and rarer still because he genuinely deserved the honor. Credit must also be given to the backing musicians in The Wesley Theory, who provided a perfect foundation for Lamar’s intricate lyrics and seamlessly fused the disparate funk, jazz and rock elements that have come to define the rapper’s sound.
Speaking of The Wesley Theory, the band stuck around after Lamar first exited the stage, all four of them trying to contain their joy as the crowd chanted “we gon’ be alright” in anticipation of the encore that everyone knew was coming. Lamar couldn’t keep a straight face either when he finally returned, and not for lack of trying. After long pause and a quick laugh, the MC gave the Civic Theatre exactly what it wanted: one more moment when everything was, in fact, “Alright.”
