SPOILER ALERT: OutKast’s Coachella performance is making the rounds
Andre 3000 and Big Boi marked their return to the stage Friday night at Coachella.
If you’ve implemented the OutKast social media blackout, and don’t want to know anything about the show, please stop reading now ... If you missed it, OutKast’s April 11 Coachella performance made its way onto YouTube over the weekend. It’s a welcome return for the original ATLiens, but Andre 3000 and Big Boi’s first night back together was a little awkward. First and foremost, Big Boi carries the show. Even with a torn ACL, he’s all over the stage - he’s the star. Dre comes out strong, but doesn’t seem to have his stage presence together, and when placed next to Big, who has been doing this on his own for years, it’s clear that Dre needs a power up. Again, this is their first show together in a long time, but Dre’s lackadaisical approach is hard to deny.
The song choices are strange, too: The set is heavy on Speakerboxxx / The Love Below material, and there isn’t nearly enough from Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. It’s the album’s 20th anniversary, it’s on everyone’s mind, but all we get here is “Hootie Hoo.” And thank the gods of Southern hip-hop for that! It’s an absolute highlight, as are “Gasoline Dreams” and “The Way You Move.”
The set list is a pretty comprehensive run through the singles, and who knows, maybe they had some more Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik numbers up their sleeve, but they went over their set time. Perhaps we’ll never know. It is curious, though, that we didn’t get to hear Dre and Big’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” verses. Talk about a missed opportunity.
But yeah, Dre taunts the crowd, boasting about Prince being backstage, but then there’s no sign of Prince. Sleepy Brown, Janelle Monae, and Future get stage time, but Killer Mike gets get cut off because they run out of time. Say what? Future is the next generation of the Dungeon Family and all, but who is steeped in the mythology more: Future or Killer Mike? Let’s get our priorities straight.
Watching the Coachella video really makes me want to see this show.The production looks massive, and Big Boi is on point, even when he’s tearing through solo numbers such as “Shutterbugg” and “Kryptonite (I’m on It),” while Dre wanders off stage, only to return to ask “How many bitches do we have in the house? How many hoes we got in here tonight? ... How many ladies we got in here tonight?” before seguing into “Behold a Lady.” I don’t care if you’re a brand-new fan or a lifelong devotee, that’s just a weird way to intro that song. Regardless, it’s an awesome show, but the Coachella debut was not as epic as it could should have been. It stands to reason that Georgia will see a well-seasoned OutKast come Sun., April 27, when they take the stage at CounterPoint.
In the meantime, check out this week’s CL cover story Straight Outta Stankonia: 20 Years of OutKast’s Atlanta, from discography to mythology.