Power 106 Cali Christmas Concert - Gibson Amphitheatre - 12/14/12
Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar
Timothy Norris
Power 106 Cali Christmas
Gibson Amphitheatre
12/14/12
Ah, the holiday season in L.A. -- a crisp chill is in the air, every twinkly light installment and bit of tinsel available has been vomited onto that particular property on Los Feliz Blvd. and Power 106 radio host Yesi Ortiz squawks about "sold-out Cali Christmas" after each song.
We trudged Grinch-like through a cold mist to get to the concert last night. But we ended up feeling touched by the spirit. It might have been the midgets dressed as elves handing out candy canes, the girl in the sequined Santa hat passing back her blunt, or the pair of people who proposed marriage on the Jumbotron above.
Yet, we weren't entirely swayed by all the warmth and fuzziness. Since it's the end of the year, we decided to give each performer at the show a grade. Warning: a couple are getting coal in their stockings.
Meek Mill 
Timothy Norris
Grade: D
Is there a less interesting rapper than Meek Mill? We feel a little sorry for the guy. His camp, Maybach Music Group, apparently considers him so unable to hold an audience's attention that cardboard cutouts promoting his boss Rick Ross were held up on both sides of the stage throughout his set. Meek (unfortunate name) did a bunch of songs that bled into each other, until YG sauntered out for the ratchet anthem we're somehow still not sick of, "Up," and then Meek performed the sole enjoyable single he released this year, the irreverent spiritual "Amen."
Rick Ross
Timothy Norris
Grade: B-
Gang threats supposedly prompted The Bawse to cancel several appearances earlier this month, and we've long held that he shouldn't have to do live shows anymore. Instead, Rick Ross should be holed up shirtless, Scarface-style, in a Miami mansion surrounded by women wearing wisps of clothing and feeding him grapes as the shimmery, opulent "Amsterdam" plays on repeat. See, being onstage seems too much work for Ross. After dancing out last night to "I'm a Boss" and stealing whatever thunder Meek Mill had, Ross's animation faded and he let his hypeman (who was wearing a huge chain oddly reminiscent of a Mario Bros. mushroom) handle shit. Ross padded around the stage, stopping to stare up at the crowd ... but he just looked dazed. Go on home and kick it with your bag of money, Rozay.
See also: The Boss vs. the Bawse: Who's Better, Bruce Springsteen or Rick Ross?
Trinidad James
Timothy Norris
Grade: A
The Atlanta rapper just signed a rumored $2 million dollar deal with Def Jam, basically on the strength of his probably deadly serious single "All Gold Everything" (the best analysis of it you will read comes from our own Shea Serrano: "Trinidad James raps like how it is when you try to ride your bike as s.....l......o.....w as you possibly can without letting it fall over."). Dude pedaled out last night on a tricked-out tricycle, performed that song with more charisma than half the other artists combined and triked off. He's our hero.
Location Info
Venue
Map
Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA
Category: General
|
4 user reviews
|
Write A Review |
| Save to foursquare |
|
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
