By Daniel Paiz
Atmosphere’s Winter Carnival Tour arrives to defrost a sold-out Boulder Theater in the best way possible. Atmosphere, Sage Francis, R.A. The Rugged Man and DJ Lala, Kool Keith & co., and Mr. Dibbs all arrived in Boulder to share 30ish minute sets of their biggest hits, favorite joints, and occasional new tunes. This crowd was pumped from start to finish.
The headliner can cause the audience to sway and throw various hand signs into the air all night; however, the openers aren’t to be underestimated as they all cradle the audience’s attention in a similar vein.
The Openers
Mr. Dibbs
This DJ delivers a set that sets the stage for the night and might just be why Atmosphere keeps having him on tour (in addition to many other reasons!). Dibbs fully embraces the carnival aspect of the tour, dropping visuals of intrigue and depravity, current newsworthy images and memorable pop culture images. His set is always the best combo of audio and visual versatility.
The range of artists mashed together is so dynamic and fulfilling. Groups like Wu-Tang Clan, Run The Jewels, and Mobb Deep get mixed with stuff like James Brown, Eazy E and Tobe Nwigwe. Rage Against The Machine makes sonic appearances, as does a bit of DJ Shadow and Mr. Dibbs’ work as well.
Kool Keith & The Ultramagnetic MCs
This had to be one of the oddest sets I’ve ever witnessed because it felt like the 1980s met the 2020s. That isn’t to say that Kool Keith and his compatriots mumbled their verses throughout, but it was somewhat reminiscent of that style. There are times when lyrically Keith sounds similar to his 80s competitors Kurtis Blow and Rakim, and then when accentuating certain rhymes, he exudes Flava Flav in a way.
Kool Keith delivered a plethora of tracks from across his extensive career, aided by Ced-Gee and Denis Deft throughout his set. There were tracks that sounded like excerpts from a CZARFACE track, there were tunes that were clearly Ultramagnetic MC joints, and then there was stuff that couldn’t be placed. The good news is, Keith is clearly having a ball and enjoying himself on stage. The odd news for me is, I mostly don’t know these jams and need to do some homework.
R.A. the Rugged Man & DJ Lala
R.A. immediately begins rapping as the music drops, and he rattles off verses quicker than anyone else tonight. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just what R.A. the Rugged Man does, delivering bars with the quickness. After a track or two, he gets one of the biggest cheers due to the following words:
When this tour went on sale, you all were the first ones to sell out your show Boulder, Colorado! 27 cities on this tour and you sold it out first!
“Gotta be Dope”, “Definition of a Rap Flow (Albee 3000)”, and my favorite RA track “The Dangerous Three” were among a barrage of tracks performed by the self-proclaimed legendary loser. Several early joints from his catalog were played, and the throwbacks were crowd approved.
R.A. made his way into the crowd, and also had some of the audience hop on stage for a track or two. DJ Lala did her thing throughout his set and even grabbed the mic to rap a bit towards the end. These two were most energetic performers of the night.
Sage Francis
Sage Francis is a close second to RA when it comes to dropping rapid-fire bars. Sage’s delivery is fairly different though and his storytelling is peak. Both Sage Francis and Kool Keith I am fairly unfamiliar with, but I’ve always wanted to witness the former live from the little I have heard.
“Crack Pipes”, “Sea Lion”, and “Escape Artist” were the standouts for this audience member. Like everyone else on this tour, there were plenty of songs to enjoy and then explore later. The narratives delivered by the Strange Famous Records head honcho are attention-grabbing in the best way possible. These songs drip with experience and reflection. There’s such an earnest delivery one can’t help but take a seat and listen intently. Francis also delivers such a sonic difference compared to the others on this setlist that it’s a palate cleanser for the headliner.
Welcome to the stage your headliner…
Atmosphere
Atmosphere and Nikola Jokic have perfected the art of the triple double.
How, you ask?
This rap group has three fellas who have double-digit talent levels (Plain Ole Bill, Ant, and Slug make the triple portion), while the two DJs guide the set along (thus the double). This group is like Jokic in that they perform sets that are fairly uniform in what gets performed. However, their execution and Slug’s crowd work makes it memorable and impactful enough that folks might be taking it for granted now. This is also the case for Jokic and his rising numbers in several categories. Look up Jokic if you aren’t getting the second part of this comparison.
Anyways it was more standard fare for Atmosphere tonight, as they opened with “Locusts” and “The Loser Wins”. The former has been their opening track since slightly around the release date of their most recent album Jestures. Each time they open a show with these joints they still set the tone and draw the crowd in. The crowd is already excited before their set (have you been to an Atmosphere show? These fans are always hype for this trio); this just adds to the palpable tension.
“God Loves Ugly”, “Grateful”, and “Party For The Fight To Write” all drop around the midsection of the set. The last track mentioned brought the fellas and crowd into agreement about celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album Lucy Ford. Celebrating this anniversary for Slug and the others is a treat it seems they’ve been embracing. A lot of fans tonight love this portion and the packed venue grooves in unison again.
“Trying to Find a Balance” often times is their closing track, although tonight I cannot tell you what the last track was. That’s because of the impact of “Yesterday” playing towards the end of the set. If you’re unfamiliar with this track, it’s a fairly personal joint where Slug keeps seeing his pops all over the place as he goes about his business. It’s a harder track to hear when working through grief, as Slug’s father had passed away prior to the sightings happening. This writer is in the throes of said process of grief, so songs after “Yesterday” are not registering the same. This tune hits harder than usual.
That’s how you know these guys are still delivering a top-tier set and making it worth it to see them again and again.
Cypher Sessions 