Strange Music did it again: rolling into town with the anticipation of a sold-out show and a crowd of Techn9cians ready to party. Tech is no stranger to Portland and Eugene. People here show him as much love as they do in Kansas City, MO. When I arrived at 6 pm for the sound check, the line at the Roseland Theater stretched around the corner. Fans were decked out in the latest gear including the new Strange Music pendant. The atmosphere felt like a family reunion and everyone seemed ready for a fun, drama-free night.

We were given a Portland treat to start off the evening: Tragedy 503 and Knothead with some much-anticipated new music from their upcoming CD (rumored to be out in March-April of 2011). Click here for more information. The opening set ended with my personal favorite, “Fuck ‘Em All” and the crowd was officially pumped and ready to go.

Next on the set was Glasses Malone with an intriguing hip hop act that left me impressed. I admit that I have never seen him in concert but I felt he had excellent flow skills and he gave the crowd a great show. He looked like he truly enjoyed his art and that it came natural to him. I will definitely be looking into him for future shows.

Next we saw the newest member of Tech N9ne’s entourage, Jay Rock. His skills were worth the wait. He had the crowd in motion and in an excellent mood as they jumped and shouted to his set. The place was packed and hotter than I realized. Toward the end I had to step out for some air but I was not disappointed in what I saw. I understand why Strange Music swooped him up to be a valuable member of their label. Next to the stage was Bay Area legend E40. He hit the crowd with new songs and some long-anticipated oldies. The crowd sang along with “U and Dat”, and jumped up and down to the set. The fans were going crazy and getting hyphy like I have never seen. This was my first time seeing E-40 live in concert and I was very pleased with the results.

Now for the most anticipated moment of the night: Tech N9ne, Kutt Calhoun, Krizz Kaliko, and Big Scoob. The crowd went wild. Girls in every section tore off their clothes, bras were thrown on stage, men screamed and pounded their feet. As a whole, Strange Music tore it up. Tech gave the hits I was waiting for: “Einstein”, “The Beast”, and my all time favorite, “Come Gangsta'”. From my spot in front of the barricade I got a very close and personal view of the performance and could see the heart and soul these guys put into their show. Scoob’s “Salue” was a crowd-pleasing must. Kaliko’s “Anxiety” and “Misunderstood” got the whole crowd dancing. Kutt’s thriller dance combined with his vocal ecstasy made my heart skip a beat. The show was more than I had hoped for and definitely worth the wait. Portland can never get enough of Strange Music. Judging by the lines at the merch booth, I’d say they can’t get enough of Portland either. The northwest has mad love for Tech and his peeps, and they showed it through every moment of the show. For me the highlight of the show was the final song, “I’m a Playa”, where Tech had me bring to the stage six-year-old Merax, who is Tragedy’s son and one of Tech’s youngest fans. Merax has the final dance down and enjoys being on stage to end the show with the guys. When he’s on, the crowd goes nuts. I watched this six-year-old legend sign autographs and thought about the world he must be in. All in all, the night was great. I got to watch one girl get kicked out because she said her skin condition would cause the stamp (the one that shows you have paid for a ticket) to kill her. It was entertaining watching her drunk boyfriend threaten to sue everyone. The night had many worthy events. DJ Chill was a great Portland favorite and we are all glad to see him working with Tech N9ne. To all the people who missed the show, let this be a lesson: next year buy your tickets at least three weeks early or have your only Tech Experience be the one you read about from me. Much love and we’re off to the Eugene show.

Review Submitted by Blog Contributor Terra Buchanan