Live And In The Flesh
Buck 65 - January 31, 2004
I only managed to make it out to a few shows over the couple of years that I was away at post-secondary, getting by on a student budget and all. Having Call the Office, a small club downtown London, ON, definitely helped bring through some pretty amazing talent during those two short years. Buck 65, an alternative hip-hop mastermind from Nova Scotia, announced a stop at CTO early 2004. This would be my first of a few shows at Call the Office, the others would happen during the fall of '04. Since the venue only held about 400 people, it was tough to pass up the intimate atmosphere, regardless of who was playing.
Buck's latest effort, Talkin' Honky Blues, was released late in 2003. This album was one of his first big releases through a major label, Warner Records, and went on to win him his first Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year in 2004. He had been making a name for himself for quite a few years by now, but I had yet to really give the guy a chance. A buddy from class had mentioned that he was making his way down to the show, and after a bit of encouragement I decided to tag along to see what Buck 65 was all about. A $15 show on a Saturday night, how could you really go wrong?
I can't quite recall who the opener was for the evening, but I'm sure it was some local talent that Buck decided to share some of the limelight with. This was my very first hip hop show (unless you count Kardinal Offishall opening up for Econoline Crush back in 2001), and I was pretty excited to hear how well Buck 65 would be able to translate live. Eagerly awaiting Buck's arrival on stage, I couldn't wait for the opener to finish up their set so we could get on with the show.
After a brief break between sets, the lights dimmed and Buck made his way up to the slightly elevated platform in the corner of the room, situating himself about a foot above the majority of the crowd. He seemed to come off a bit shy and soft-spoken at first, but Buck quickly warmed up to the crowd on that cold winter's day in January. Throughout his set he played quite a few songs from his latest album, while mixing in some of the older lesser-known material along the way. We probably heard well over half of Talkin' Honky Blues that night, which was great! I can remember The Centaur being played, one of his more popular tracks from Vertex, his early years. I just didn't know what to expect next, which attributed to making the show that much more enjoyable. Tossing in the odd joke, and interacting with the crowd between tracks helped keep the mood lighthearted and cheerful. It seemed as though Buck 65 was out conquering the scene one small club at a time during this point in his career.
I never expected one man up on stage to produce such an incredible atmosphere all by his lonesome. The beats and rhymes that you were connecting with were taken to a whole other level having the creator in your presence. Buck's style was raw, and since experiencing him for the first time, I've always been a fan. You felt like you could listen to him go on for hours, certainly a natural born storyteller. There's nothing better than going into a show with little expectations, and being turned into a fan immediately. To this day, whenever I toss on Talkin' Honky Blues, I'm taken back to that small club show in London, Ontario where I first caught a glimpse into the world of Buck 65.