Where would you expect to find a more harmonious vibe: an acoustic show with about fifty people or a hip hop show with over a thousand? If you chose the former, you would be incorrect.

Tuesday, September 19 at Respectables featured five singer/songwriters, with the very unique Jeff Hanson headlining. I don’t want to give the impression that the crowd did not get along, but they were segregated.

Some swayed, others chatted and many seemed more concerned with the libations. This did change a bit when Hanson took the stage and charmed the masses with his high-pitched crooning. I spoke with the extremely easy-to-approach Hanson after the show, who discussed several topics including the music industry, a topic of contention, even for Hanson, who is on the indie label, Kill Rock Stars. “It is a business, one concerned with making money, says Hanson. “(The industry) is very image based, maybe more so than even the movies.” Unfortunately, as with many industries, talent does not always equal success. This does not seem to be Hanson’s lot in life, as he is enjoying a growing following both at home and abroad. Check him out on www.myspace.com/jeffhanson or at www.jeffhanson.net

Monday, the 25th at Revolution could not have been more different. After 10 years and a seemingly endless hiatus, A Tribe Called Quest returned to the stage as part of the Bounce 2K7 Tour. Tribe played to a vastly overbooked crowd from all walks of life. While 500 tickets might have been enough to pack the house, more than 1,000 fans packed in elbow-to-elbow to witness the band’s reunion. At most shows you can float to the back and find a travel lane, but not this night. With that many people crammed in and dancing wildly, you would expect to witness all sorts of hostility and aggression – but the complete opposite occurred. People jostled, jumped, screamed and fell, all the while grinning ear to ear. One thousand people sang each song word for word, loving every sweat soaked moment of it. As if the crowd was not hyped enough, an onstage appearance by Shaquille O’neil ratcheted up the intensity one more notch.

It was really cool to see so many people from so many backgrounds dancing and singing in unison – a testament to how music can truly bring people together.