Eminem, D-12, Papa Roach, Ludacris, Xzibit, and the X-ecutioners

Eminem show to lil' ol' Nor Cal. The parking lot was littered with more melanin-challenged misguided hip-hop fans than I'd ever seen in one place at one time. For a moment, I was even happy to be among them, until I saw a couple of Oroville's finest sporting "Trailer Park Girl" tees.
As Xzibit continued his perpetual touring by following a short opening performance by the X-ecutioners, and even as Ludacris performed, the crowd was still filtering into the Shoreline-like venue. Many hadn't made it through the turnstiles, and hundreds of others were hitting up the concession stands. X and Luda' did their thing, but aside from when they played their top couple of hits, there was a clear sense that the crowd was just waiting to see Mr. Shady.
As the sun set, Papa Roach hit the stage. Their energy was appreciated, and the lead singer's stage presence was surprisingly impressive. Nevertheless, the concession stand lines once again grew, and I couldn't help but wonder how the band was being received when the tour pulled into areas with stronger hip-hop fan bases.
Finally it was time for the headliner to take the stage. It was dusk, and the crowd had filled out the amphitheatre quite well. His latest release, The Eminem Show, is perhaps his most introspective and personal album of his young career, though both of these are quickly becoming mainstay attributes of Eminem's music.
As such, the presentation of Eminem's set saw both a life-size Ferris wheel and a replica of his childhood home brought onto stage. During each of his songs, companion video pieces - many of them full of powerful images such as Nazi soldiers marching in incredible unity and numbers - played on the two large screens. It was a welcomed and inventive use of the screens that, at many Shoreline or AutoWest Amphitheatre shows, simply display images of the live performance for the fans on the lawn with poor lines of site to the stage. On the other hand, for those with such poor vantage points, it must have been frustrating to see so much of the supporting propaganda and so little of the man they paid 30 bones to see live.
One exception to the possible misuse of the screens occurred when D-12 joined Em on stage for a performance of their last summer hit, "Purple Pills." During the piece, the screens displayed little more than live shots with one twist, a visual effect that made their images appear to be melting, morphing or any other adjective you use describe hallucinogenic visuals. It was a crowd-pleaser that made anyone in the audience who wasn't tripping wish - if not question whether or not - they were.
Eminem's live performances are always solid, and this was no exception. His stage presence and visual on-stage interest are perhaps as striking as possible for a single man on a stage with nothing more than a mic. The set was surprisingly full of nearly every song on the recently released The Eminem Show album. These cuts were reasonably received, but it was clear many in the audience were only very familiar with those that have already been released to MTV and radio as singles.
The show didn't change my life, nor do I think it was intended to, but it was well worth a couple of hours on a late Saturday afternoon. His delivery holds its own with just about any of his contemporaries', and Eminem certainly appreciates the value of working with talented producers, both facts that make a live show by the Shady One worth your time.
- Robert Green

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