Over the summer, the Kanrocksas festival made its debut at the Kansas Speedway. The card was made up of a diverse lineup of almost 40 artists playing on three stages and two tents, ending up in a two day show. All of the performances had people talking, from Muse’s light show, to the giant eyeball taking up the screen behind The Flaming Lips, to Eminem’s impressive return to the touring circuit. However, behind all of the theatrical headliners, some of the undercard was swept under the rug. This short list will hopefully illuminate some of the lesser-noticed artists that put on a great performance, despite being lost in the hype.
- Major Lazer
Major Lazer is the reggae/electronica brainchild of the production duo Diplo and Switch (the guys behind M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” and Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now”, as well as countless other hits). In 2009, they released their dancehall debut as Major Lazer, enlisting numerous Jamaican MCs to rap over their hypnotizing and often dance-worthy beats. I was a fan of the album the first time I listened, but my interest was piqued when I saw them on the list of bands to appear at Kanrocksas. I wondered how the project would transfer to a live performance, especially with the diversity of the vocalists on the album. They decided to solve this problem by ignoring it completely. Less of a performance and more of a dance party, Diplo and Switch stood behind their turntables remixing several Major Lazer tracks with popular dance songs, while their Jamaican hype-man grinded with a scantily-clad woman. Along with the small, yet intense crowd, they made up one of my most unique concert experiences.
- Doomtree
Doomtree is an independent alternative hip-hop collective from Minneapolis, Minn. Their music often draws on the introspectiveness and DIY work ethic of punk rock, and after their set at Kanrocksas, I can say they’re able to tap into the aggressiveness that goes with live punk shows. The crowd started off quiet, but MCs P.O.S., Sims and Cecil quickly brought fans into the fold by jumping off the stage and performing in the crowd. Other highlights included a solo song from the sole female of the group, Tressa, as well as P.O.S. posing for a picture with me mid-performance. The Doomtree stable definitely won over some fans that day.
- Primus
To be honest, I feel Primus should have gotten a bigger place on the card. The trio was huge in the ’90s, and their reunion should have been a bigger deal. That being said, their performance at Kanrocksas was still amazing. With the return of their original drummer Jay Lane, they ran through a handful of classics before they played several new songs set to debut on their upcoming album. Vocalist/bassist extraordinaire Les Claypool’s unique sense of humor and playing style added enough character to the show to save Primus from the self-parody that many ‘90s musical icons have fallen into.
