Ashley Gongora
Scenes From Friday Night's Doomtree Show At Trees.
Since the Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree released its All Hands LP two weeks ago, the group's been making a lot of noise. Already a staple in its hometown, and in the indie hip-hop underground for nearly a decade now, it seems as if the group's finally on the verge of really breaking out.
After Friday's show at Trees — the second stop on the group's current tour — it's easy to see why. Rappers P.O.S, Dessa, Cecil Otter, Sims, Mike Mictlan and producer, Lazerbeak performed their hearts out at this show. Their energy was unparalleled.
Part of what makes Doomtree so compelling is the fact that each of the collective's members brings a little something different to the table. Throughout the roster, there are hints of punk, indie rock, pop and jazz influences. And when these powers combine, it adds up to something far greater than garden variety. That's precisely why Doomtree works so well. There's a little something for everyone here. Theirs is a mixed bag of sounds, sure. But it's a blend that's also pretty easy to get swept up in.
Partly for this same reason, Doomtree is really strongest when it is at full strength. Unlike its still pretty damn good Index Fest set, members Dessa and Sims showed up for this one. Thank goodness for that, too, as Dessa, the group's lone female member, induced chills with her captivating vocals at this show by hitting each of her high notes smoothly and effortlessly. Her rapping, meanwhile, was quick and different, managing to stand out even among four more top-notch emcees flanking her sides.
Still, just as was the case back at Index, Cecil Otter's solo “Rebel Yellow” cut was probably the biggest highlight of the night. As it did most all night long, really, the audience waved its arms and danced enthusiastically for the duration of this especially passionate performance.
Really, though, the energy from both the crowd and the performers on stage was extremely high from Doomtree's first note to its last. But it was when the lights dimmed and Mike Mictlan addressed this crowd that everyone in the spot — from the longtime hip-hop heads to the indie kids to the parents chaperoning their underage kids — truly proceeded to lose their shit.
“I don't care if you could talk or can breathe, shut the fuck up,” Mictlan said. “When the beat drops, I want everyone to take off and throw your hair.”
And so everyone did. It was nuts, and it was a high the collective only managed to top following its main set, when the band returned to the stage, compelled to do so by the crowd, which chanted “Bangarang!” in unison to request that the group performed its fan-favorite cut from 2011's No Kings album. For the first-timers and long-timers alike, the group's gleeful, chest-thumping screed — which name-drops its influences and throws shade at its naysayers — was, and will perhaps always be, the best possible way to close out a Doomtree show.
