Sean Daley flashed a luminous, shit-eating grin to his audience. He looked out at the crowd and said with sincerity, “I don’t wanna ask you for much Portland, just to put a smile on your fucking face.” It’s cheeky and endearing, and it’s the exact energy this rapper has built an empire on. Earlier this week Sean’s hip-hop group Atmosphere (which he co-created with producer Anthony Davis) headlined the Roseland Theater with their Party Over Here tour.
Atmosphere launched into their Party Over Here tour earlier this month, fresh off their co-headlining summer tour with Iration. The 10-city jaunt kicked off in Sacramento and will roll through the west coast before wrapping in Salt Lake City. Hip-hop duo Blimes & Gab and DJ Plaine Ole Bill support throughout the tour.
The duo opened with their newest single “Sculpting With Fire.” Anthony (Ant) and opening DJ Plain Ole Bill took to the decks and laid down the track’s immersive, psychedelic beat. The lurching bassline and stammering drums were hypnotic, lulling the energy of the room before Sean (Slug) took the stage. Cloaked in a black hoodie and army cargo shorts, he began to weave brooding metaphors on self-reflection with his acute turns of phrase.
“It’s all about how you handle your losses // and whether or not you recognize that you’re toxic // you’re a product of putting the prophecy below the profit.”
Throughout their evening at The Roseland, Atmosphere took fans through some of their biggest hits (“Sunshine,” “GodLovesUgly,” and “F’@k You Lucy”) and their deepest cuts (“Scapegoat” and “Say Hey There.”) Before launching into “Lovelife,” Slug implored the audience to take care of one another.
Compelling and poignant, yet generally optimistic, the words of Atmosphere have been guiding listeners through this thing called life for more than 20 years. Since 1995, the duo has released over two dozen albums and EPs, each brimming with honesty and humility. With Slug’s compelling narratives and Ant’s skillfully crafted tracks, their music hums with life and heart.
Atmosphere : Party Over Here Tour
Photos by Steven Meservy
