By Haleena Y. Hanson
April 2, 2008

Talib Musiq Soulchild’s shining performance at the PAC on March 22^nd was the quintessential R&B concert.

The sold out crowd welcomed a humble and lighthearted Musiq who entered the stage in a dapper gray suit and introduced himself.

Starting with songs from his Luvanmusiq album, which he has been on tour to promote since its March 2007 release, he worked the crowd like the seasoned performer he is and had everyone clapping their hands in participation. Groups of people remained standing during the entire show, swaying gently to the beat. Even more people were singing along to every track verbatim.

Though a part of the audience was unfamiliar with his Luvanmusiq album they watched avidly while he sang “Ridiculous” and “Ms. Philadelphia. There seemed to be a bit of disconnection between some parts of the audience, not because they weren’t receptive to the new album, because they had difficulty hearing the lyrics on occasion.

This only seemed to be a bit of a hindrance during the first segment, because when he started singing familiar classics from his latter albums, everyone knew all the lyrics by heart and the tempo of the show skyrocketed.

After introducing his new album, Musiq took the audience on a sentimental journey through each one of his prior albums by singing a few standout tracks such as “Half Crazy” “Just Friends” “Soulstar” and my personal favorite, “Don’t Change”. He captivated the audience with his smooth textured and soulful voice, while creating an atmosphere that had everyone dancing in wild frenzy by the finale.

Known for his signature neo-soul style and 70’s inspired R&B vocals, Musiq’s strengths are in his ballads. When he sang “Love” a cappella it was one of those vulnerable performances you don’t usually get to see in person. It almost seemed invasive, like eavesdropping on someone singing in the shower.

As the hour concluded, the whole entire crowd was up on their feet singing their hearts out and dancing feverishly. The applause resonated wildly throughout the Atwood Center.

Musiq’s iconic performance once again proves that BD Productions continues their endeavor of “redefining entertainment in Alaska”

While many read the flyer, stared in confusion and asked themselves, "Who are these cats," avid listeners like myself marked their calendar and made it a priority to attend the "From the Bay to AK" concert. Bay area artists, Coolio the Under Dogg, J. Diggs, Ryder J Klyde and Sleep Dank performed March 21, 2008 at Club Millennium rockin a crowd under conditions that for many artists would have been less than performable. The Thizz Nation artists managed to make it through nearly 90 minutes of showtime despite an audience of less than 200 people.

Out of those 200 audience members, about 80-90% were under the age of 18. The choice in Venue eliminated many fans that would have otherwise attended. After all how many people wish to attend a club that their younger siblings or kids for that matter are able to go to. With the bar being a floor below the actual concert to avoid underage drinking, audience members 21 and up were forced to decide between having a drink or enjoying the show. The separation in floors took heads from the crowd and unfortunately when you lose numbers you lose hype.

Along with choice in venue comes atmosphere. Selection in music is one of the largest ways to create an atmosphere for any event. If you were to host a Miles Davis concert one would only expect that you play soothing sounds of Jazz and Classic R&B. If you were to host a Lil Jon concert one would only expect that you play high energy crunk club music. So if you were to have a Thizz Nation concert one would only expect that you play West Coast Music more specifically Hyphy music. The most memorable song of the night was "The Thizzle Dance." Why? Because it may have been the only Bay Area track played the entire evening.

Nonetheless, the rappers completed their sets as if they were performing in a crowd of 1000 attendees. They also shot footage for "Treal TV 3," a series of Thizz Nation performances and documentaries filmed around the globe. The series began as a tradition that was started by Bay Area legend Mac Dre. While crowd members held up their T’z in the air to show their Thizz Nation support, four camera men circulated the room capturing their Alaskan fans. Indeed the Atmosphere could have been improved and the arrangement of the Venue could have been adjusted but if anyone knows the trials and tribulations of concert coordination trust that it is yours truly. The promoters did the best with what they were given and unfortunately that’s how the concert business works!