El-P, Killer Mike Electrify New York's Irving Plaza

El-P performs at Irving Plaza in New York.

Halfway through his set at New York's Irving Plaza, Killer Mike made an affirming proclamation. "I do this shit for the whole fucking world," the Atlanta rapper said, pointing to various people in the crowd with a massive grin plastered on his face. Three of the four rappers on Friday night's bill were New York City natives, but despite the homecoming for El-P's "Into The Wild" tour, the atmosphere reached beyond the birthplace of hip-hop. Of course the obligatory shout-outs were made to the five boroughs, with Killer Mike relating stories of growing up with cousins from the Bronx and El-P showing love to his hometown, but this was warm appreciation for the city, not holier-than-thou hubris.

Taking the stage after openers Despot and Universal Republic signee Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Killer Mike kicked off his 40-minute set with a calm, smooth performance of "Untitled," a track off his recent collaborative album with El-P, R.A.P. Music. After stomping through "Big Beast," the first single off R.A.P. Music, Mike recognized the intensity of the crowd and reviewed proper hyped-up show behavior, before launching into his verse on Bone Crusher's 2003 hit "Never Scared." Things took a turn for the serious when Mike introduced R.A.P. Music cut "Reagan" and brought out special guest Immortal Technique. "When you see a bold-faced lie, call that shit out," he said before thoroughly enunciating through the aggressively critical track. Though Mike visited R.A.P. Music throughout his set, playing "Butane (Champion's Anthem)" with El-P and "Anywhere But Here" with the Phenomenal Handclap Band bassist Emily Panic, he also touched on older material, ripping through PL3DGE tracks "Burn" and "Ready Set Go" and performing his verse from Outkast's "The Whole World." But the icing came with his closer: taking a special request from eXquire's mom, who names the song as her favorite, the hulking rapper ended his set with an anarchic performance of the Purple Ribbon All-Stars' 2005 smash "Kryptonite (I'm On It)."

As he did at his May record release show at NYC's Santos Party House, El-P chose to play through his new album Cancer For Cure in full, sparing no detail in his performance. El-P teased the crowd with the first notes of C4C single "The Full Retard," before pausing to bring out Mr. Killums, the coke-snorting, pedestrian-assaulting miscreant squirrel puppet from the track's music video. El-P hit album highlight "Oh Hail No" with particular fury, rapping alongside featured guest eXquire and initiating a rowdy call-and-response with the audience to fill in for the absent Danny Brown. Das Racist's Himanshu Suri emerged to provide vocals for "In The World," shouting the stuttering chorus with blunted vigor. El-P was particularly sharp on the anxious and paranoid "The Jig Is Up," with his jagged flow reflecting the emotional panic of the track. But while the vibe was celebratory, the underground trailblazer took a moment before album closer "$4 Vic/Nothing But You + Me (FTL)" to honor his deceased friend Camu Tao, who passed away in 2008 from cancer.

The mood didn't stay somber long though, with El-P quickly retreating and retaking the stage for a 15-minute encore, featuring I'll Sleep When You're Dead tracks "EMG" and "No Kings" and a fun-loving semi-rendition of A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?" El-P closed his set with two fan favorites: the early Company Flow cut "Vital Nerve" and "Deep Space 9mm" from his 2002 debut solo album Fantastic Damage. Hip-hop has had quite the year so far, but there's something special about a rejuvenated El-P putting out two of 2012's most critically praised albums. "I'm having the best time of my fucking life," he admitted in the middle of his set. It must be nice a feeling.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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El-P, Killer Mike Electrify New York's Irving Plaza

El-P performs at Irving Plaza in New York.

Halfway through his set at New York's Irving Plaza, Killer Mike made an affirming proclamation. "I do this shit for the whole fucking world," the Atlanta rapper said, pointing to various people in the crowd with a massive grin plastered on his face. Three of the four rappers on Friday night's bill were New York City natives, but despite the homecoming for El-P's "Into The Wild" tour, the atmosphere reached beyond the birthplace of hip-hop. Of course the obligatory shout-outs were made to the five boroughs, with Killer Mike relating stories of growing up with cousins from the Bronx and El-P showing love to his hometown, but this was warm appreciation for the city, not holier-than-thou hubris.

Taking the stage after openers Despot and Universal Republic signee Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Killer Mike kicked off his 40-minute set with a calm, smooth performance of "Untitled," a track off his recent collaborative album with El-P, R.A.P. Music. After stomping through "Big Beast," the first single off R.A.P. Music, Mike recognized the intensity of the crowd and reviewed proper hyped-up show behavior, before launching into his verse on Bone Crusher's 2003 hit "Never Scared." Things took a turn for the serious when Mike introduced R.A.P. Music cut "Reagan" and brought out special guest Immortal Technique. "When you see a bold-faced lie, call that shit out," he said before thoroughly enunciating through the aggressively critical track. Though Mike visited R.A.P. Music throughout his set, playing "Butane (Champion's Anthem)" with El-P and "Anywhere But Here" with the Phenomenal Handclap Band bassist Emily Panic, he also touched on older material, ripping through PL3DGE tracks "Burn" and "Ready Set Go" and performing his verse from Outkast's "The Whole World." But the icing came with his closer: taking a special request from eXquire's mom, who names the song as her favorite, the hulking rapper ended his set with an anarchic performance of the Purple Ribbon All-Stars' 2005 smash "Kryptonite (I'm On It)."

As he did at his May record release show at NYC's Santos Party House, El-P chose to play through his new album Cancer For Cure in full, sparing no detail in his performance. El-P teased the crowd with the first notes of C4C single "The Full Retard," before pausing to bring out Mr. Killums, the coke-snorting, pedestrian-assaulting miscreant squirrel puppet from the track's music video. El-P hit album highlight "Oh Hail No" with particular fury, rapping alongside featured guest eXquire and initiating a rowdy call-and-response with the audience to fill in for the absent Danny Brown. Das Racist's Himanshu Suri emerged to provide vocals for "In The World," shouting the stuttering chorus with blunted vigor. El-P was particularly sharp on the anxious and paranoid "The Jig Is Up," with his jagged flow reflecting the emotional panic of the track. But while the vibe was celebratory, the underground trailblazer took a moment before album closer "$4 Vic/Nothing But You + Me (FTL)" to honor his deceased friend Camu Tao, who passed away in 2008 from cancer.

The mood didn't stay somber long though, with El-P quickly retreating and retaking the stage for a 15-minute encore, featuring I'll Sleep When You're Dead tracks "EMG" and "No Kings" and a fun-loving semi-rendition of A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?" El-P closed his set with two fan favorites: the early Company Flow cut "Vital Nerve" and "Deep Space 9mm" from his 2002 debut solo album Fantastic Damage. Hip-hop has had quite the year so far, but there's something special about a rejuvenated El-P putting out two of 2012's most critically praised albums. "I'm having the best time of my fucking life," he admitted in the middle of his set. It must be nice a feeling.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Bruce Springsteen Kicks Off 2012 Tour at New York's Apollo Theater

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at The Apollo Theater. Kevin Mazur/WireImage for SiriusXM/Courtesy of SiriusXM

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's concert at New York's Apollo Theater was an evening of firsts. It was the first show they've played in support of Springsteen's new LP Wrecking Ball, their first show in well over two years, their first show with a newly assembled five-piece horn section, their first show since adding an extra percussionist to the band and their first show at the legendary soul venue. But one first hovered above all the rest: it was their first ever show without Clarence Clemons. "We're missing a few people tonight," Springsteen said early on. "But if you're here, and we are here, they are here." 

The concert was also the first opportunity for Springsteen fans to check out Clarence's nephew Jake Clemons, who now splits sax duties with Ed Manion. Jake (destined to be known as the Little Big Man) stayed in the back with the horn section during the first two songs, but when the group kicked into "Badlands," he moved his way up to play his uncle's famous solo. It was a big moment, a real passing of the torch, and he absolutely nailed it. 

The concert was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SiriusXM satellite radio. Only a fraction of the tickets were distributed to the public, and it was a mob scene outside.  Die-hard fans held up signs desperately seeking tickets, and paparazzi and autograph seekers aggressively chased down the celebrity guests. The lucky few inside took advantage of the open bar and hors d'oeuvres and gawked at Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Elvis Costello, Paul Rudd, John McEnroe, Chad Smith, Steve Earle, Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate and many other big names as they waited for the show (which was broadcast live on SiriusXM) to begin.

The concert started with each member of the E Street Band taking the stage one by one as they touched the famous Apollo Theater tree stump for good luck. They opened up with new tracks "We Take Care Of Our Own" and "Wrecking Ball." The group has been rehearsing in New Jersey for a couple of months, and their hard work has clearly paid off. Nobody sounded rusty, even though this was the first time many of the songs have been played in public.

When Springsteen began calling his backing group the E Street Band in 1974, it consisted of a mere five people. That number has now swelled to sixteen, and at times it sounds like a cross between the old E Street Band, the Seeger Sessions Band and, to a slightly lesser extent, Arcade Fire. This new iteration of the group allows Springsteen to create lush new arrangements of old material, such as the gospel-infused "My City of Ruins" he played early on at this show, or a cover of the Temptations' "The Way You Do The Thing You Do" featuring a chorus of backup singers. Some Springsteen purists may bemoan all the changes, but the last couple of albums have made it quite clear that Bruce has moved far from the sound of his Greetings From Asbury Park days. 

For the first time in memory at an E Street Band show, Springsteen did not perform "Born To Run." In fact, the only real hits he brought out were "Thunder Road," "Badlands" and "The Promised Land." The rest of the show set mixed in new songs ("Jack of All Trades," "Shackled And Drawn") with soul covers ("Hold On, I'm Comin'"), deep cuts (a mind-blowing "E Street Shuffle" and a tender "Mansion On The Hill") and concert staples ("Waiting On A Sunny Day," "The Rising"). For "Rocky Ground," he brought out gospel singer Michelle Moore to reprise her rap from the album. It was a risky move for Springsteen to include such a thing on the disc, but Moore made it work – and it sounded almost better live. 

The MVP of the evening was Jake Clemons. He's filling very, very large shoes, but he didn't seem to have any opening night jitters. He pitched in on back-up vocals during the soul covers, and even played a large drum during "We Are Alive." It'll be interesting to see how his role in the band evolves as the tour goes on – but it's quite clear that Springsteen made a very wise choice in keeping the sax in the Clemons family. 

The second to last song of the night was "10th Avenue Freeze Out." The song is (at least loosely) about the formation of the E Street Band. When it came time for Bruce to sing "the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band," the music stopped cold. Springsteen held the mic out to the audience and let us sing it, encouraging everyone to yell out Clarence's name over and over. This could have been a very sad moment, but Springsteen made it absolutely exuberant – which is exactly how Clarence would have wanted it.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Bruce Springsteen Kicks Off 2012 Tour at New York's Apollo Theater

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at The Apollo Theater. Kevin Mazur/WireImage for SiriusXM/Courtesy of SiriusXM

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's concert at New York's Apollo Theater was an evening of firsts. It was the first show they've played in support of Springsteen's new LP Wrecking Ball, their first show in well over two years, their first show with a newly assembled five-piece horn section, their first show since adding an extra percussionist to the band and their first show at the legendary soul venue. But one first hovered above all the rest: it was their first ever show without Clarence Clemons. "We're missing a few people tonight," Springsteen said early on. "But if you're here, and we are here, they are here." 

The concert was also the first opportunity for Springsteen fans to check out Clarence's nephew Jake Clemons, who now splits sax duties with Ed Manion. Jake (destined to be known as the Little Big Man) stayed in the back with the horn section during the first two songs, but when the group kicked into "Badlands," he moved his way up to play his uncle's famous solo. It was a big moment, a real passing of the torch, and he absolutely nailed it. 

The concert was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SiriusXM satellite radio. Only a fraction of the tickets were distributed to the public, and it was a mob scene outside.  Die-hard fans held up signs desperately seeking tickets, and paparazzi and autograph seekers aggressively chased down the celebrity guests. The lucky few inside took advantage of the open bar and hors d'oeuvres and gawked at Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Elvis Costello, Paul Rudd, John McEnroe, Chad Smith, Steve Earle, Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate and many other big names as they waited for the show (which was broadcast live on SiriusXM) to begin.

The concert started with each member of the E Street Band taking the stage one by one as they touched the famous Apollo Theater tree stump for good luck. They opened up with new tracks "We Take Care Of Our Own" and "Wrecking Ball." The group has been rehearsing in New Jersey for a couple of months, and their hard work has clearly paid off. Nobody sounded rusty, even though this was the first time many of the songs have been played in public.

When Springsteen began calling his backing group the E Street Band in 1974, it consisted of a mere five people. That number has now swelled to sixteen, and at times it sounds like a cross between the old E Street Band, the Seeger Sessions Band and, to a slightly lesser extent, Arcade Fire. This new iteration of the group allows Springsteen to create lush new arrangements of old material, such as the gospel-infused "My City of Ruins" he played early on at this show, or a cover of the Temptations' "The Way You Do The Thing You Do" featuring a chorus of backup singers. Some Springsteen purists may bemoan all the changes, but the last couple of albums have made it quite clear that Bruce has moved far from the sound of his Greetings From Asbury Park days. 

For the first time in memory at an E Street Band show, Springsteen did not perform "Born To Run." In fact, the only real hits he brought out were "Thunder Road," "Badlands" and "The Promised Land." The rest of the show set mixed in new songs ("Jack of All Trades," "Shackled And Drawn") with soul covers ("Hold On, I'm Comin'"), deep cuts (a mind-blowing "E Street Shuffle" and a tender "Mansion On The Hill") and concert staples ("Waiting On A Sunny Day," "The Rising"). For "Rocky Ground," he brought out gospel singer Michelle Moore to reprise her rap from the album. It was a risky move for Springsteen to include such a thing on the disc, but Moore made it work – and it sounded almost better live. 

The MVP of the evening was Jake Clemons. He's filling very, very large shoes, but he didn't seem to have any opening night jitters. He pitched in on back-up vocals during the soul covers, and even played a large drum during "We Are Alive." It'll be interesting to see how his role in the band evolves as the tour goes on – but it's quite clear that Springsteen made a very wise choice in keeping the sax in the Clemons family. 

The second to last song of the night was "10th Avenue Freeze Out." The song is (at least loosely) about the formation of the E Street Band. When it came time for Bruce to sing "the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band," the music stopped cold. Springsteen held the mic out to the audience and let us sing it, encouraging everyone to yell out Clarence's name over and over. This could have been a very sad moment, but Springsteen made it absolutely exuberant – which is exactly how Clarence would have wanted it.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon Music and MP3 Center

Read more »