Arrested Development

Friday night’s final act was hip-hop group Arrested Development. The group found success in the 90s by presenting themselves as a positive alternative to gangsta rap. Think Public Enemy without the anger. Or alarm clock neck chains.

Prior to the show, security guards went back and forth speaking to the photographers hunched at the foot of the stage. “If we have a crowd control situation,” they said, “…we need you to do as we say.” It sounded a bit ominous but I imagine that they meant “get the hell out of our way” rather than “touch me here but don’t tell your parents”. I didn’t have the opportunity to find out as the crowd was enthusiastic but well-behaved.

AD frontman Speech worked up the crowd, some of whom couldn’t have been old enough to shave when the groups breakout album 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… dropped in 1992, with both hits (“Tennessee”) and new tracks (“Bloody” from the group’s latest album, 2010′s Strong).

I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to hear hip-hop that didn’t involve firearms, microskirts or airborne ejaculate.