JACKSON, Wyo. — With the plethora of live music options in Teton County this summer, personal limits are real. The triple bill of Digable Planets, De La Soul, Soul Rebels struck interest in the three departments — 1990s nostalgia, the uncommon local offering of early rap/hip-hop matched with a second line New Orleans brass band, and venue awesomeness.
Let’s begin with the venue. King Concerts atop Snow King Mountain have been compared to Red Rocks for the vibe and view. But I think it’s better. Sure, it’s a process and sometimes a bit of a line to access the Gondola to enter and exit the venue, but those are minor inconveniences compared to the rewards — stunning views, room to create one’s own general admission hangout space, intimate access to front of stage, quality food trucks, not an overwhelming amount of people (tickets sold), all-ages, quality show production/sound and reasonable pricing. I’m a fan, and this year’s lineup offers the level of eclecticism that hits a wide demographic.
Soul Rebels’ brass onslaught was a great way to kick off the night, getting the crowd involved and bringing genuine New Orleans sounds. The seasoned eight-piece had three emcees, two trumpets, two trombones and sax with a second line rhythm section of bass drum, snare drum and tuba. Highlights included instrumental versions of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Lil Jon’s “Get Low.”
Digable Planets were also an eight-piece with three emcees, keys/synth, drums, bass, guitar and midi sax. This band is straight-up cool. Synthesizing jazz and hip-hop this many years later is nothing new, but they bring a ’90s charm that is epitomized in their banger, “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” which earned them a Grammy and a Top 20 pop hit 30 years ago. The trio of Brooklyn-based, co-founding vocalists were backed by “Seattle’s best.” Their sound is quite laidback and understated for the genre that has evolved after them, which felt fresh and it’s not because they’re older — it’s because they are old school kool. The crowd was really digging their set, which also included “Where I’m From,” a well-received message to stand-up against the oligarchy in “Noise,” and as the sun faded over the Tetons, the pungent “Nickel Bags.”
De La Soul is two-man show, DJ/backing vocalist Vincent Mason and emcee/frontman Kelvin Mercer. The duo setup is unique for a headlining act and Mason is a master of his frontman craft — speaking directly to the audience in conversational form to get them physically and mentally connected to their performance, and even sometimes calling out individuals in search of the next “party animal.” Mercer joked as the set began, “When’s the last time y’all had this much hip-hop in Wyoming?!” The set rolled through their hits of decades past and had the crowd jumping and engaged with call-and-response party vibes.
All in all, a beautiful night enjoying community vibes and a quality sold-out show experience that reminds us of how fortunate summer in the Tetons can be when all of the elements are fused. Well done, King Concerts.
