Yes Lawd! Anderson .Paak debuts Andy’s Beach Club Tour in SF

“Yes Lawd!” A mere 24 hours after Anderson .Paak collected his first Grammy award, he was right back to work, immersed in stage lights in front of exultant San Francisco fans who’d snatched up all of the tickets almost immediately after they’d gone on sale.

The Monday night concert, the first date on the aptly-titled “Andy’s Beach Club” tour, was nothing short of a celebration of his musical journey, from south to north on the LP trilogy Venice (2014), Malibu (2016) and last year’s Oxnard, executive produced by hip-hop kingmaker Dr. Dre.

Anderson .Paak

But more importantly, the San Francisco show was a showcase of one the rarest of creatures in the hip-hop ecosystem (dropping science!) – the live band.

The hour-long set kicked off with .Paak high on a drum riser partially obscured behind a semitransparent screen, locked in behind a drum kit in the sinew beat of Oxnard’s opening track “The Chase.” Just the right amount of musical tension released into what could arguably be Oxnard’s brash lyrical thesis “Who R U?,” as he dropped down to center stage. It was the first of many seamless transitions in a show that felt well-greased, despite being the first stop on a tour where .Paak plays the dual role of drummer and frontman.

He was obviously ready: “I told y’all I’d be back,” he joked during a brief break. “But you didn’t know I’d be back with a muthafuckin Grammy tho!”

Indeed, there’s a Grammy in the bag, but if the rest of the show is any indication, there could be more on the way after the sold-out tour.

Backed by the versatile five-piece Free Nationals band, the show transcended genres. Collectively, they were in the pocket with hip-hop and R&B, but there were doses of funk, rock, psychedelic, and a touch of club music.

A straight-rock rendition of Malibu’s “Put Me Thru” briefly channeled the psychedelia of the Jimi Hendrix Experience before they doubled down on 70’s superfly funk with the NxWorries track “Suede.” An encore with Oxnard single “Tints” brought it back to modern funk before a touching tribute to the late Mac Miller and confetti cannons closed the set.

The “Andy’s Beach Club” tour is off to a great start. We just might need a bigger beach next time.

Anderson .Paak Jan 21, 2016 at 1015 Folsom, Photo by Kristina Bakrevski
Anderson .Paak Jan 21, 2016 at 1015 Folsom, Photo by Kristina Bakrevski