GWHH Review: Lupe Fiasco "Remember 2 Smile" show at Congress Theater 10/29/09

The Remember 2 Smile show was, in a word: inspiring. Lupe Fiasco developed a series of video installments to create a storyline throughout the 2+ hour show. The installments, titled Lyric, Life, Death, (minus Love), Faith, Politics, Fame, Progress, Chicago, and Lasers, captured Lupe's life to this point in a powerful, cinematic fashion. Every video included Lupe's viewpoint on each domineering topic followed by music from his discography of mixtapes and albums to bring it to life.

I can honestly say that those in attendance at the Congress Theater gained a personal picture of the person that Lupe Fiasco is just by simply analyzing the show and his conscious performance choices. The video topics were particularly evocative because the specific word choices held both literal and broader meanings. We got to see Lupe in spirit, on stage creating paintings of raw emotion. This created an experience that was a juxtaposition between earthly topics and the ethereal experience for each viewer. The mood was artistically captured through the alteration between amazing one color overhead lighting, bright rapid flashing, and smoke cloud machines that blew out mushroom clouds around the stage. I felt like I was Simba in the hyena den from The Lion King at times. The rapid one color lighting and stagnant smoke in the air above matched Lupe's fast-paced flow, even creating a sinister setting at times. Adding to the mood were the guitars that ripped through your body (most notably on Lu's performance of "Fire") and the epic percussion destruction coming from Bam on the drums.

Simply put, I loved it. I was lucky enough to experience the concert from the front row, giving me a chance to appreciate small moments like FNF's JROC on the side losing control not only to Lupe's performances of "Superstar", "Fighters", and others but also to surprise guest Crucial Conflict's performance of "Hay". Also noteworthy is how Lupe Fiasco shared the stage with fellow Chicago artists like Mikkey Halsted, Crucial Conflict, Dude 'N' Nem, and The Kid in addition to performing the appropriate "Sittin' Sideways" and "Go Go Gadget Flow" during the Chicago set. This action brought upon a prideful feeling within the home town crowd, longtime collaborators Matthew Santos, Sarah Green, and Bishop G contributing as well. When Santos came out to "Fighters", he absolutely killed it; I mean, murdered those vocals. That performance evoked emotions for me that are indescribable in words. Everyone is in spirit at times during a Lupe Fiasco show, because he's just that good at conjuring moods. He even moves his hands to the music almost like a sorcerer; creating influence onto his audience.

The nights' show really captured a sense of where Lupe came from, what he discovered, where he stands, and where he is going. It was the past, present, and future of Lupe Fiasco, as he performed songs from every stage of his career covered under a chosen list of explorations important to him. Further drawing on each vignette, Lupe Fiasco tackled the duality in each topic through his songs. In his first performance of "Solar Midnite" the following lyrics reverberated powerfully for me, "I can see the truth in you, even when you lyin'. Even through the darkness, I can see you shinin'.." I cannot say that you can call a person strictly saint or strictly sinner, because to be human is to understand the oneness in the duality of existence. Meaning both opposites can seem true depending on the perspective; I think Lupe deals with these values of opposites, which is why you experience a dark, sinister Lupe Fiasco and a shining,  gleeful Lupe Fiasco at every show.

To close out the show, Lupe performed "Shining Down", slated off of the upcoming album, Lasers, appropriately leaving the crowd with a sense of how Lupe Fiasco is growing lyrically and musically into the future. After his previous album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool depicted dark moods, partly influenced by his father's death, Lupe seems to be moving away from darkness into light - a conclusion I reached based on the way "Shining Down" was performed & its content. It started off with a light fog to set the mood, and then the lasers hit! Sniping green lasers beamed in multiple directions throughout the Congress Theater before hearing the drop of Santos crushing the vocals in compliment to Lupe killin' the lyrics. It was a special mood setter, which reminded me of the the tons of silver confetti that got released into the crowd from the ceiling during Santos' piercing vocals of "Superstar". Each piece of silver floated down in a graceful, unique route onto the crowd, amidst reflecting light and smoke that resonated organically.

One last conclusion: Lupe Fiasco is the game's most underrated artist today. It is exciting to see that he is going to market himself more (even today announcing plans for a new mixtape), making his greatness more evident to more audiences that have yet to fully appreciate him. This would help change the world for the positive and I think he realizes and understands his power based on his recent statements and releases. Go see Lupe live for the magic, and the experience. It's different every time. FNF Up!