Told you grandmas were going to be there.
Let all hazy doubts be cleared. Cordorzar Calvin (aka Snoop Dogg) Broadus attracted a large crowd of diverse smoking abilities last night at the Rialto Theatre as part of the “”Blazed and Confused Tour.”” The show, minus tour acts Slightly Stoopid and Mickey Avalon, also featured reggae’s son, Stephen Marley, who swayed the audience to his own music as well as to odes to his dad, Bob Marley.
The Tucson Police Department came out in full force. Maybe they expected something to go down. And it did – in a drama-free way.
The audience inhaled positivity through the music, the motto of the “”One Love”” culture popularized by the Marley family. Speakers flanked by several cannabis-like plants comprised the simple stage décor as Stephen Marley opened the show, showing nothing but love for Tucson. With his son proudly waving the Jamaican flag and the limber backup vocalists displaying impressive vocal stamina while dancing, the band delivered a bluesy, funky, reggae set.
Cuts off of Marley’s Grammy Award-winning Mind Control album, “”Mind Control”” and “”Let Her Dance”” (a track that would convert any girl into a dancehall queen), riveted the audience. He also “”big-upped”” his family, inviting brother Julian to perform “”A Little Too Late,”” off of Julian’s new album Awake. When done, Stephen recouped the love he gave and the audience granted him heaps of approval.
At this point the house, or rather, the Dogg House, was full and awaiting to take a hit of the headliner. Snoop then “”swaggerificly”” sauntered on the stage kicking off his set with the smoldering “”Next Episode”” by Dr. Dre, a song featuring Snoop and his cousin Nate Dogg. Snoop wore a green t-shirt, a wave cap for his cornrows and what looked like a silver Michael Jackson glove but was actually a big ring with the words, “”Snoop Dogg.”” He rocked his blinged out mic, backed by the Snoopadelics and some members of his Dogg Pound. Notably and quite amusingly, his band was getting it, feeling every guitar lick and snare pop.
Snoop’s energy was infectious. You couldn’t help but enjoy seeing him groove to cuts like Jamie Foxx’s “”Blame It,”” which introduced his own “”Gin and Juice,”” complete with champagne spraying the audience. West Side connection kept intact, Snoop rocked “”ruff and tuff,”” inviting Lady of Rage and her afro puff for a couple of selections.
“”How many of y’all hate the police?”” Snoop asked. The audience answered with a resounding roar.
The crowd got a lungful of other hits including the lovely “”Sensual Seduction,”” the slinky “”Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”” and the 808-heavy “”Drop It Like It’s Hot”” after rocking the house with House of Pain’s “”Jump Around.”” On multiple occasions Snoop shouted out Tupac’s name and performed some of his songs with the late rapper.
A logical collaborative performance that didn’t happen was a fantastic song, “”The Traffic Jam (Answer Remix)”” by Stephen Marley featuring Snoop Dogg and Damian Marley. But the audience didn’t seem to mind as Snoop continued performing from his sizable back catalog, ending with his debut single, “”What’s My Name?””
Check back next week for the Arizona Summer Wildcat‘s interview with Snoop Dogg and what happened after the concert.
