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Madison, Wisconsin is in F Stokes' blood. His small-town aesthetic is evident not
only in his music, demeanor and performances, but also his fan base. Playing to a crowd not quite  aware they
would not be seeing Digable Planets, Stokes nimbly negotiated a set list of
spoken word pieces, kooky anecdotes and jazzy, soulful hip-hop music that
seemed right at home in a town overrun with Madison transplants.
 At one point in his set, Stokes inexplicably began to tell a
story about how Rihanna walked past him once sitting courtside at a Los Angeles
Clippers game. Shortly after
ruminating how the experience left him contemplating, "Stroking off in the
parking lot," he delved into a ballad set to Celine Dion's theme from Titanic. He
ended the set in the middle of the crowd, leading a raucous hand circle
reminiscent of an NBA pre-game ritual.
He seemed as comfortable on stage as he did off, blending with the crowd
during the dubious ‘Digable’ set that followed.
When we first got word that seminal 1990s hip-hop trio
Digable Planets would be playing a show in our backyard, our excitement was
palpable. While Ishmael
‘Butterfly’ Butler has been cooking up extraterrestrial atmospherics with his
Seattle-based group Shabazz Palaces (QRO album review), we've seen little from Digable Planets since
Butler and Craig ‘Doodlebug’ Irving played a few ‘reunion’ shows without
Ladybug Mecca back in 2005.
 But even two-thirds of Digable Planets would have been
preferable to the sham put on Tuesday, December 20th at Brooklyn Bowl. Instead of a reunion to remember, the
crowd was instead treated to Doodlebug's new venture, Cee Knowledge & The
Cosmic Funk Orchestra; Irving thanked the crowd for enduring a headlining act
they didn't come to see, seemingly placating them with the occasional DP cover.
While those in attendance at the bourgie bowling alley (QRO
venue review) seemed to remain in good
spirits, some even dancing along to the anonymous (but admittedly pleasant)
tunes, not everyone was pleased with the promoter's feint. One young man relieving himself during Doodlebug's set contemplated "knocking
out everyone on stage" to make up for his disappointment.
"Yeah," his friend said, standing next to him at the
urinal. "Except Doodlebug."
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Click here for photos of F. Stokes at Gramercy Theatre in New York, NY on February 16th, 2012 in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Fueled with Voodoo Doughnuts, Alcoholic Faith Mission
delivered to a rockin' crowd in Portland.
Those lucky enough to
enter the House of Blues Boston took a spacey journey
that felt like one long dream starting with opening act I Break Horses.
The student-filled O2 Academy in Manchester started heaving
forward the instant the visual art showed "The Cribs" on the backdrop.
