A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Uniondale Concert reviews
Zac Brown Band losing their focus
I saw three shows this week, including the A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. Let me clarify this review - I was likely among the oldest 10% of the show's audience age-wise. I have a rich history of attending live music events, and I frequently perform live music myself. The sound mix quality, the musicians' skills on stage, and the songs' content are crucial to me. I have watched several live YouTube videos of A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and have listened to a lot of his music. Despite this, the show was disappointing. The latest CD from the band, which was sent to me for free after purchasing tickets, contains songs ranging from Euro disco to Maroon 5-esque tunes to more typical A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie tracks. The band kicked off with Freedom/Into The Mystic, featuring a 3-piece horn section that was barely audible. The harmony vocals were pushed far to the background. The overall mix was dominated by the bass drum, bass, Zac's vocals, and a blend of noise from background vocals, guitars, keyboards, and horns, lacking subtlety. Zac's vocals were excessively loud, overpowering the mix throughout the show. The band's attempt at covering Bohemian Rhapsody fell short, although not due to the musicians' skills, as Queen had employed around 150 overdubs for the original track. The incorporation of disco elements in their performance seemed out of place and indicated a departure from their usual style. Additionally, the choreographed visuals accompanying each song felt distracting and unnecessary to me. Zac's assertion that they were about to play their most significant song came across as pretentious, especially given the clichéd nature of the track. The venue, despite being labeled a "Performing Arts Center," fell short of expectations, resembling a large tent with seating and a lawn area. While accessing the stage was convenient, parking was a nightmare, leading to a lengthy exit process post-show. The behavior of the audience during the performance was acceptable, but the excessive litter left behind by tailgaters was disappointing. Given the overall experience, I doubt I'll attend another A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie concert. The songs that resonated most with the audience were those in his traditional style, prompting him to emphasize the need for musical progression, a sentiment I found unnecessary.