What a band, what a night!  Last night Prophets of Rage celebrated the release of their debut album at the Apollo Theater.  The self-titled disc will be unleashed on Friday.  The video above is the band’s official video for Radical Eyes directed & edited by D.J. Sing.  Before the pictures I snapped, take a peek at this setlist of doom chock full o RATM, PE, and Cypress faves and an Audioslave track (Like A Slave) to boot!  The new material sounded great but it was more a night to celebrate the legacies of Tom Morello, Tim Commerford , Brad Wilk, DJ Lord, Chuck D, and B-Real than to go deep on the fresh disc.

Prophets of Rage – Public Enemy
Unfuck The World – Prophets of Rage
Testify – Rage Against The Machine
Take the Power Back – Rage Against The Machine
Living on the 110 – Prophets of Rage
Hail to the Chief –Prophets of Rage

Guerrilla Radio –Rage Against The Machine

(Rock) Superstar – Cypress Hill
Fight the Power – Public Enemy
Hand on the Pump/Cant Truss It/Insane in the Brain/Bring the Noise/I Aint Going Out Like That – Cypress Hill/Public Enemy/Cypress Hll/Public Enemy Medley
Sleep Now in the Fire –Rage Against The Machine

Like a Stone – Audioslave 
Radical Eyes –Prophets of Rage

Know Your Enemy – Rage Against The Machine
Strength in Numbers – Prophets of Rage
Bullet in the Head – Rage Against The Machine

How I Could Just Kill a Man – Cypress Hill, also recorded by Rage Against The Machine on Renegades
Bulls on Parade –Rage Against The Machine

Killing in the Name – Rage Against The Machine

The show was a sort of homecoming for Tom Morello who was born in Harlem and featured Living Colour, who released their own new album Shade, opening up the festivities.  Living Colour and Public Enemy were both included in recent 10 Essential New York Artists post.

The News: The new Andre Betts produced Living Colour album Shade was unleashed today!  Living Colour is supporting Prophets of Rage at the Apollo Theater on this Tuesday.  Prophets of Rage members are Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk along with DJ Lord and Chuck D of PE, and B-Real of Cypress Hill.  

The first taste of the album was their cover of the Notorious B.I.G. track Who Shot Ya that originally appeared in ’95.   It’s a powerful statement against gun violence that people can rally behind as an alternative to throwing their hands up at the omnipotent NRA.  Vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun are just the guys to serve it up.  I spoke with them about it after their show at City Winery on Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016.

I have enormous RESPECT for these guys as artists and as people and our conversation was significant to me personally.  It was meaningful not only because I enthusiastically support what they are trying to accomplish in speaking out against gun violence but also because Living Colour was the first major band that I interviewed as a college radio DJ.  It was live on the air at WICB in 1991 making it a 26 year old interview.

Something else that I got a boot out of is after the interview with all four members wrapped up, I got to speak with Doug Wimbish a little bit and enjoy some brief recollections of his days as a session man in the house band of Sugarhill Records.  It’s him playing arguably the most famous bass line of all time, White Lines by Melle Mel!  He was also on The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five among a million others.  Something Doug told me that I didn’t know was that he was guy who, years before he joined the band, took Mick Jagger (who he played with on Primitive Cool among other things) and Jeff Beck to see Living Colour at CBGB.  This moment was also referenced in the ’91 interview as it was a key one in getting their career rolling…

Here’s a bonus bit:  Corey speaking about The Notorious B.I.G….

Go to #5 artist Jesse Malin & D Generation

Cypress Hill released their enduring third album Temples of Boom 20 years ago and they’re celebrating that anniversary with a short tour that rolled through Times Square on Friday night, October 30, 2015.  The album, beginning with its cover and continuing into the grooves, is the spookiest record in their catalog so a Halloween time run of 5 shows was dubbed the Haunted Hill 2015 tour.  New York City has been an important town for the band ever since they emerged from LA in the early 1990’s and they’ve played this venue in Times Square a handful of times, but this was the first time since it was renamed PlayStation Theater (formerly Best Buy Theater) last month.  The show was streamed on B Real TV.

It’s a great time to cross paths with Cypress Hill as DJ Muggs is back in the fold after a decade away from the live shows.  Eric Bobo on drums and percussion rounded out the full complement.

I got to spend a few minutes with B-Real and Sen Dog before the show in an aromatic backstage nook where they spoke about the vibe of Temples of Boom, their longevity, the return of and the importance of DJ Muggs, their forthcoming new album with the memorable title Elephants on Acid, and – of course – the ganj!