Beating the heat

Published: Monday, August 18, 1997

Monday, August 18, 1997

92.3 The Beat brings together rap and R&B's biggest names under the sun at the hot concert Summer Jam '97By Nerissa Pacio

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Thousands of high fivin' head droppin' brothas and scantily yet trendily clad sistas gathered in a moment of sacred silence. A sea of raised arms and two upheld fingers forming a V signified peace, unity and no color lines. The solemnity was a rare moment in memorium of Notorious B.I.G. and Eazy-E, artists who have died as symbols of the streets.

The silence did not break with a whisper or a sneeze but with loud resounding bass beats and raging rhythms which could only mean the show, and the beat, must go on.

92.3 The Beat's Summer Jam '97 on August 10 was an R&B and rap lover's hallucinogenic trip come true, with that brief segment of silence just a rare moment in the noisy, packed outdoor Irvine Meadows Ampitheater filled with thousands of sun-kissed faces.

More than a concert, the all-day event was closer to a variety show of familiar radio voices, movie star names and music moguls. What could possibly bring together multi-pigtailed DJ/MTV VJ Theo, the pudgy kid brother in "The Nutty Professor," a nearly 8-foot-tall movie star, rapper and basketball player and the biggest hottest names in R&B and the world? Nothing but Summer Jam, of course.

Even the not-so-small headliners weren't all that unknown. The WhoRidas "shot-called" and "big-balled" to open up a cool morning stage. The Comrads stomped out in baggy L.A. County Jail overalls to make it loud and clear that "You can take the boy out the hood/ but you can't take the hood out the homeboy." Who knew prison wear could look so en vogue?

After the spunky Adina Howard announced that her voice was shot, she still delivered a sexily gruff, quick set of her hits including "Freak Like Me." Sporting her above-the-butt tattoo on the gigantic screen, she sang, freaked and gyrated to the hip-hoppin' beats in unison with her female dancers.

And for the ladies, Adina proudly quipped "You ladies can't be mad, now" as she busted out bare-chested six-packers to dance their way across stage. Though her set was placed up front, her energetic live performance and jazzy on-key harmonies proved that short can definitely mean sweet.

Dru Hill donned a platinum blond head and humorously stopped his group from singing a fast version of "Sleeping in My Bed," claiming that such a serious subject of uh, infidelity, should be sung the real way slow, crooning, and completely Dru Hill.

Unlike Blackstreet, he was considerate enough to warn security that there'd be trouble shortly before he caused it by running out into the audience where female fans mobbed the shirtless wonder, fingering his sweaty chest. After calling four women onto stage to pour water over his reclined body, a laughing and screaming crowd saw Dru at his entertainment best.

The Beat mixed it up in between setting up for the next big acts with multiple mixers and the big DJ Booty. His gigantic stuffed ass swayed side to side along with his pimp-inspired gold chains as he danced and humped an air-filled female doll. Let's just say modesty was not a big theme at Summer Jam. Not this year, anyway.

Though big in names, Aaliyah, Warren G and Blackstreet, were even bigger disappointments as far as live performance. Aaliyah's vocals were right on the line with "4 Page Letter" and the rattling "One In A Million," but she might as well have sung from backstage with the uninspiring stage presence she quickly revealed. She may be a sexy video honey, but at the Jam, the attitude just wasn't there.

Warren G pumped it up with "Regulate," but again unless you were interested in seeing him pace across the stage, you'd be more likely to tell him to regulate his act.

Blackstreet, on the other hand, the only group to perform with a live band, had all the works. Each singer broke out of a life-sized pyramid to open their act. Complete with dancers and costume changes, the big shabang ending revealed a steel pyramid that lifted them away, showing an empty shell in midair.

But after swinging and jiving to some of their hits ("No Diggity" and "Don't Leave Me"), the group should've realized that sticking to the oldies but goodies would have been the best move for a nine-hour concert. The rest of the set, glitz and all, provided not much more than a yawn.

Ginuwine, Sugafree, DJ Quik and Bone Thugs N Harmony (who ended the show with the longest and most intense set of the day) proved to be the true big names that delivered even bigger performances. Ginuwine grooved to a hip-hop remake of Prince's "When Doves Cry," and even made the ladies cry a bit as he pulled down his pants to grab and boast of his goods. (He too, was inevitably mobbed by swooning females).

The whole crowd sang and rapped along with Sugafree and DJ Quik, appearing to know the words to almost every refrain, and then some. Earplugs would've been appropriate for this portion of the concert when everyone was on their feet and hearing the person next to you would be a joke.

Too bad DJ Quik shouted out the unthinkable (not to mention random) to end his successful set: "All you who have HIV and AIDS, shut the fuck up!" Up until that point, almost everyone was convinced he was the best thus far.

Bone Thugs N Harmony closed it up with a near one-hour set of their best quick-is-an-understatement-for-this-kind-of-rap music. Dedicated to Notorious B.I.G and Eazy-E, they sang "Tha Crossroads," "Days of Our Lives," and "Look Into My Eyes" in perfect harmony. It's what everyone had been waiting for, and it's what everyone got the spirituality, melodious harmony, amazingly fast rapping rhythms and the energy of the group.

Summer Jam '97 proved to be a successful relaxed August festival of hot music. What better way to beat the heat than to join it?

(above) 92.3 The Beat hosted Summer Jam '97, where the biggest names in hip hop and rap came together to perform under the sun at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater.

(above, right) Fans relax and enjoy the nine-hour concert.

(Right) Aaliyah sings, but with an unenthusiastic stage presence.

Beating the heat

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