Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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■ SUGAR Continued from page 6 from the response, they were pleased with what bloomed. Then came summer, in which one can enjoy the fruits of labor — and Queen Latifah is doing just that. Performing with exuberance and sincerity, she sang singles from “The Dana Owens Album,” which encompasses jazz as well as R&B. Still rooted in hip-hop, though, she performed classic singles like “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Ladies First.” After a short hiatus some years ago, she is definitely back in the game, and you can tell through her performance that she is enjoying her life, her summer. Transitions are made; fall appears. Having released her sophomore album last year, Jill Scott is in a place where she has experienced spring and summer. From making a classic debut album, being married and, as she said during the concert, “growing from a princess and entering her ‘queendom,’” she is now becoming a diva. “To be a diva takes more than two or three years, y’all,” she explained to the audience. “It takes 30, 40 years. I’m talking Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight.” She started with “Golden,” expressing a place where she appreciates life, which is a part of being a queen. She continued with “Getting in the Way,” which was recorded when she “was just a princess.” She slowed things down with “Cross My Mind,” a song that will elevate her to “diva status.” And winter began with Ms. Badu. Performing songs from her debut album such as “Tyrone” and “My Eyes are Green,” you can tell Erykah is in a place where she is preparing for new growth. Dressed in a head wrap (old-school attire for Ms. Badu), it was obvious she was revisiting her past to prepare for the future. As always, she gave a funky performance that included comedic anecdotes and improvisational song changes. The festival definitely let fans see artists in a different light, but some might have been blinded by the fact that no performance was more than 50 minutes. In fact, some of them were only 30 to 35 minutes. In addition, it was a large venue, and smaller venues are always more intimate and allow fans to feel the artists energy. Leaving the show, many were unsatisfied but could still say they had a good time despite the downfalls. Whatever people felt about the concert, it was easy to relate to one of the artists depending upon what season fans were experiencing in their own lives. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITTY INK Erykah Badu’s debut album, "Tyrone,” made her a leading soul lady. She is touring as part of the Sugar Water Festival. ■ WEEZER Continued from page 6 Yet many critics have given it mixed or poor reviews, perhaps in response to the album’s breakaway from the standard rock-group formula. “Make Believe” combines a different writing style (plus lots and lots more synthesizer) to bring an almost dance-rock feel to it. Yet those in disbelief of bad reviews turned out for the sold-out performance and were given a stellar show. Security could not have been better at Fort Knox. In “fair access to Weezer tickets,” the band and its management chose to implement an all will-call system for tickets to discourage scalping. While the band claims that not a single ticket was scalped or sold on eBay, it’s hard to deny some fans missed the show because of this policy. Users of Weezer’s Web site complained that tickets given as gifts were useless because recipients could not pick up tickets. The most disconcerting thing for concertgoers was the muggy weather. Those wise enough to get there early endured being crammed onto the shady balconies outside the House of Blues for more than an hour. Relief came when the doors opened, thanks to the venue’s high-tech A/C. Even the band was startled by the weather; their blog entry for the show commented on how “the sheer contrast in temps (could) give you an instant fever and/or headcold.” The Denver-based band The Fray, who joined Weezer for three weeks as their opening act, played some soulfully good music, but the overall mood felt incompatible in anticipation of Weezer’s high-energy rock. A sing-along attempt by front man Isaac Slade didn’t register with the crowd because the vocals were drawn out and inaudible. As soon as the lights went down after The Fray left the stage, memories of standing in a muggy queue were gone. A massive tarp at the back of the stage flapped to the ground, revealing the group’s huge, stylized “W” logo, and the crowd erupted in the first of the nights’ many deafening roars as the 13 year-old band strode from behind the curtains. The bulk of the set comprised songs from the new album. The new album is a change of tune for Weezer, combining different synthesizer elements and writing styles for what amounts to a very pop-friendly feeling. Yet the band did not forget its diehard fans. Sprinkled between selections from the new album were fan favorites, including a revved up, synthesizer laden version of “Buddy Holly” at the end of the first set. Rivers Cuomo tantalized the audience with his usual understated theatrics, grinding out memorable guitar riffs backed on vocals by Brian Bell and Scott Shriner. Shriner is the band’s third bassist since Weezer’s first album, joining the band on “Maladroit.” A three-song encore left everyone in the room exhausted from belting out their personal favorites with Cuomo and company. While some complained that “Pinkerton,” possibly the most underrated album, was barely touched on stage, it was hard to complain with the overall package. A good mix of oldies plus a hefty dose of new material should be standard for all bands as legendary as Weezer, so that while you couldn’t take pictures at the show, you could wear your damaged voice box like a badge of honor. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeattms@gum.sc. edu Solving Problems Including: DUI, Criminal Defense, Auto Accidents 2910 Devine Street 254-7900 CROMER LAW OFFICES A General Practice of Law J.L. "Bubba" Cromer, Jr. Former S. C. State Representative Brand New Student Housing! Located on Pickens Street - walking distance to USC Limited Availability Call Today! 803-779-5888