Halifax holla’d back. As a last minute line up change, The Pharcyde trumped Jazz Fest’s opening weekend on the waterfront with their 90s throwback. High energy, dynamic and dance-party inspiring, what else could a humid summer’s night in Halifax call for? Los Angeles’ Pharcyde offered up a refreshing spin on the jazz fest’s roster.
The Pharcyde wanted to see us move: Strut your stuff Halifornia. And we did.
As someone who hasn’t experienced many hip-hop shows, I was blown away. It was an audacious, inclusive and wildly freeing experience. Political and peaceful. The Pharcyde pushed the boundaries and concept of a jazz festival. Jazz is always an ever-evolving genre, blurring and fusing aspects of music. Hip-hop, too.
I don’t think I’ve ever been at a show where the performers returned for an encore and asked all the men to grab their balls and women to press their tits together. Apparently it worked like a charm. Most of Halifax’s hip-hop scene, plus festival tent opener and hometown hero Ghettosocks and members of The Pharcyde made their way over to The Company House for the official after party. We danced, sweated and drank until last call.
This article appears in Jul 7-13, 2011.