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Review Thu Nov 25 2010
Review: The Hood Internet @ The Metro, 11/24
The Hood Internet's set at last night's One Night Stand's Wobble Wobble Wobble (held at The Metro) didn't actually start until this morning--12:11 a.m. to be exact--making it the most enjoyable show I've ever attended on Thanksgiving. Alright, so I don't think I've ever been to another concert on Thanksgiving Day. Still, superlatives aside, it was awesome.
Reviewing any DJ set is difficult, mostly because the experience feels more like a giant party than a live show. Immediately following a set by fellow Chicago DJ duo Team Bayside High, one half of The Hood Internet, Steve Reidell aka STV SLV, took over the booth and kept the party raging for the entirety of his hour-long set.
One of the key elements to the success of The Hood Internet, or any mash-up artist for that matter, is the duo's undeniable wit when it comes to their musical pairings. Luckily, Reidell stayed true to The Hood Internet's humor during last night's live set by dishing out notable and hilarious Hood Internet mash-ups such as a Passion Pit vocal track mixed over Juvenile's "Back That Ass Up" (Loved it, Steve.).
These pairings bring up another important aspect of mash-up artists like The Hood Internet and a strong justification for last night's 18+-age restriction (as opposed to a 21+ exclusion that applies to many of Chicago's DJ/dance club scenes). Good mash-ups, like many of those produced by Reidell last night, provide a balance between the new and hip and the old(er) and once cool. Everyone loves feeling nostalgic, but for most 18 or 19 or 20-year-olds, nostalgia sets in after only several years of separation. Enter mash-up artists like The Hood Internet. If not for their "nostalgia appeal," fans of mash-up artists could just as easily listen to the radio to hear mixes and remixes of current hits. It's the unpredictability of what old-school R. Kelly or Missy Elliot cut will pop-up next that keeps The Hood Internet's listeners coming back for more.
The Hood Internet hasn't overlooked this simple fact. For proof, look no further than their recent creation: Decalogue. Just because the 2000s are barely over doesn't mean we can't reminisce about them.
However, don't take this to mean that The Hood Internet can't appeal to anyone over the age of 20. The Metro's bar area was still bustling during last's night's performance. If anything mash-up artists like The Hood Internet are for fans of popular music or for anyone that listened to music in the 2000s, a classification as wide and varied as the musical selections that you can find featured on any one of The Hood Internet's free mixtapes or at their live shows.
Here's my biggest question concerning last night's half-Hood Internet performance: Where was Aaron Brink aka ABX aka the other half of the Hood?
If you haven't done so already, head over to The Hood Internet's website to download any of their mixtapes and add one more item to your list of things to be thankful for today.
Raf / November 29, 2010 11:46 PM
I believe Aaron is in N.Y.C. Busy schedule. I've seen Hood "live" about a dozen times, and it seems like the sets where he is present are better.