B.o.B, Matt & Kim + Santigold Rock the Town of Boring [Sponsored Post]
We were driving through the middle of nowhere. The sky was bleak, but the plush, rolling landscape and snow-capped view of Mt. Hood lured our focus. We almost expected to see a Prefontaine successor on foot, following a windy two-lane highway that would soon lead us to our destination: Boring, Ore.
You might, at this point, think we're a little nuts. Why on Earth were we in a quaint town just 25 miles outside of Portland(ia), where billboards challenge you to name seven different types of berries and the town's local diner is called the Red Apple?
Well, vitaminwater® was on a mission to prove that brilliant things CAN happen in boring places (pun intended). So, after carrying out various odd activities (like letting a dinosaur loose in town and adding pyrotechnics and metal music to a flag-raising ceremony), the drink franchise decided to put on the ultimate concert in the town of Boring, which would feature B.o.B, Matt & Kim, Santigold and DJ sets by Yung Skeeter.
Camp Kuratli at Trestle Glen was the chosen location for said gig, which would bring together an eclectic mix of indie rock and hip-hop acts. It's exactly how you'd picture it -- a 'Parent Trap'-designed summer camp with tiers of cabins perched around creeks, evergreen trees, and groomed lawns.
It also turned out to be the perfect setting for our pre-show interview with B.o.B, who sat with us on a picnic bench during the last couple hours of sunlight. "It's exciting now that everyone's out here. They [even] got the news station out here…" he beamed.
But when we asked what he was looking forward to about the night, he admitted that it would be to successfully remember his cues and marks. "That's the most important thing," he said, "because when I get them at the end, I'm like 'YES!' because I know that's going to look good on TV." He's referring to the televised broadcast of the concert, which aired live on FUSE last night, April 3, at 9PM ET.
Well, B.o.B hit all of his marks, and looked dope on TV while doing it, wearing overalls, black high tops, and a raccoon tail accessory attached to his jeans (we suspect an ode to the Boring wildlife or something). He managed to slap one of the dancer's bootays and performed a one-handed breakdance pose during 'Nothin' on You.' The ladies loved that track, as well as 'Ray Bands,' 'Airplanes' and 'So Good.'
"Ladies what's up. Wanna go on a trip with me?" B.o.B shouted before jumping into 'So Good.'
The room erupted with shrills.
B.o.B Set List
- 'Arena'
- 'Nothin' on You'
- 'Strange Clouds'
- 'Ray Bands'
- 'Play for Keeps'
- 'So Good'
- 'Airplaines'
- 'We Still in This B----'
B.o.B is not only busy working on his third studio album, but also a rock EP and a Hustle Gang compilation with T.I.. His third studio effort will be the first to drop, which will include production by Jim Jonson, Osinachi (who both worked on him with his mixtape 'F--- 'Em We Ball'), J.R. Rotem, and DJ Dahi (who produced Kendrick Lamar's 'Money Trees'). He even dished about a "very eclectic" U.K. artist that will be featured on the album, but refused to give out the name.
The next set came from indie-pop duo Matt & Kim, who saved their most popular song, 'Daylight' for the end. They're known for sampling hip-hop and dance tunes live, and tonight was no different, as Kris Kross' 'Jump' and Dr. Dre beats seeped into their set list.
Matt, who kicked his legs vigorously in the air during 'Yea Yeah,' introduced his bandmate Kim as, "My partner in crime, and my partner in the bedroom." It was actually cute, in a weird sort of way.
Kim, as usual, went crowd surfing in the middle of their set, and danced and shaked her derriere while standing on her drum stool in a cute polka dot crop top and skinny jeans. There's so much energy trapped in her body, and it all seems to get released through her upper torso, arms and facial expressions. If it wasn't for her pre-show ritual, which Matt described to us as "Dancing and shaking her a– in the backstage room for the half-an-hour beforehand," she might explode from excess energy.
During their performance of 2011's 'Cameras,' the duo asked the crowd to blow up balloons and then throw them on a count of three, which were accompanied with confetti.
Matt & Kim Set List
- 'Block After Block'
- 'Jump'/ 'Overexposed'
- 'Cameras'
- 'Yea Yeah'
- '2001' / 'It's Alright'
- 'Daylight'
Santigold's set featured the most production. Her band was dressed in white suits, leis, and white top hats that featured sideburns. Her backup dancers and singers (who can be seen in music videos such as 'Big Mouth' and 'Lights'), wore '50s tuxedo dresses and cat-eye sunglasses. They were frequently accessorized with props like gold pom poms, umbrellas and lassos (duh, to catch the white horse that was set loose on stage).
Our favorite song and performance was 'Disparate Youth,' which featured twirling umbrellas, abbreviated electric guitar riff solos and synchronized clapping from the audience. At one point, the stage became a dance party after Sanitgold invited 30 Boring residents to groove to 'Creator.'
For Santigold's encore, she brought B.o.B out to sing the second verse of 'Shove It,' meanwhile Matt & Kim joined at the end, Kim playing a marching band drum strapped to her torso.
Santigold Set List
- 'Go'
- 'L.E.S Artistes'
- 'The Keepers'
- 'Creator'
- 'Disparate Youth'
- 'Big Mouth'
- 'Shove It'
At one point in the night, we spotted a local guy in the audience who had the most ridiculous-looking mustache culled from 19th century fashion; it was broader than the Cheshire cat's grin! We wouldn't call it brilliant, but it's definitely not a boring look.
Watch B.o.B., Matt & Kim + Santigold Perform Live in Boring
This post was produced in collaboration with our advertising partner vitaminwater®.