Atmosphere Plays a Unique Set at the Fonda

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Author: Laura Bowen

Rap group Atmosphere played a fantastic set at the Music Box in the Henry Fonda Theater last week, after hours of anticipation on Hollywood Boulevard. As part of their “Everybody Loves a Clown” tour, three hip-hop acts from record label Rhymesayers Entertainment-Grayskul, Mac Lethal and Luckyiam-opened for them, taking up around three hours before Atmosphere actually came on stage. While this delay was slightly irritating, the acts preceding him were entertaining and no one in the audience seemed to mind; many anticipated the wait and showed up a couple of hours into the concert.

The venue was small, but not uncomfortable, with a crowd semi-diverse in gender, age and ethnicity. Surprisingly, smoking was allowed and prevalent, but gum chewing was not. Although the audience on the main floor was standing and the balcony above had seating, both sections had a relaxed vibe.

When Atmosphere finally came on stage, Slug, the driving force behind the group, was quick to make sure the audience did not get too crazy, telling them not to crowd surf. Since their new album, Sad Clown Bad Fall, is going to be released on October 9, about half of the set was comprised of new songs. Though most of the audience sang along to songs off their old albums, their new material was by no means a damper on the performance as a whole.

Their mixture of old and new tracks, in addition to popular and lesser-known songs, gave the concert a unique vibe and let everyone truly appreciate the music, rather than just spit back the lyrics they had memorized. There was also an improvisational aspect to the show that let Atmosphere maintain originality and control rather than be overwhelmed by the audience. In fact, Slug chewed out those audience members who sang along to every lyric, telling them it was his job to do so.

Slug’s unique approach to the performance was consistent throughout; he changed hats between nearly every song to fit the style it conveyed. With his transitions from cowboy hats to green visors, he was very communicative with the crowd. His quirkiness paid off-the performance was anything but boring. The acoustics of the venue were excellent, the lighting was good and they sounded incredible. The crowd wasn’t hyperactive and everyone appeared very content with the set.

Towards the end of the performance, Slug again broke conventional concert mannerisms and said that instead of leaving and coming back out for an encore, they were just going to play their last few songs as a pseudo-encore, so he would be able to just leave immediately after the performance, as would the audience. Suitcase in hand, he finished the set with the rest of Atmosphere on a very satisfying note.

A great example of a concert aimed at the pure enjoyment of the music, Atmosphere played an excellent performance with a combination of songs and styles that showcased their talented individuality.

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